The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 994, 26 June 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1879.

The resolve of the Government to cease to offer the premium of a halfpenny per head as an inducement for the destruction of rabbits may he reckoned amongst its foolish acts. If the effect of the expenditure of money for this purpose were merely to benefit large laud owners, hatred of that fraternity might be a valid excuse for refusing to continue it. But the Government have been the greatest gainers by the expenditure. The Colonial estate amounts to many millions of acres, and surely it is worth while to keep clear of these vermin, even at an expense of a halfpenny per head, those portions of this land that are now infested, so as to> a3 far a3 possible, prevent their increase and spread to other portions. Such a scourge has the rabbit-plague become that some of our landed proprietors annually expend large sums in order to j keep their numbers down, and, if possible, j exterminate them. No doubt, they would ' be willing to continue to make such a sacrifice if the Government were to continue the subsidy; but wc would not wonder if the discontinuance of the subsidy were to be the signal for a strike. If tho3ewho have t undertaken the expensive task of coping | with the rabbit pest could make sure that [they had only to extirpate the rabbits : upon their own properties—that none i would migrate from adjacent Government j lands to fill the places of those that were j disposed of—them might be some sense |in the action of the Government in dis- ! continuing the subsidy ; but it is wellj known that it i 3 almost impossible to bar ! rabbits out. Those that engage in the work of destruction are not working to [free their own estates only—they are | working to free the lands of the Colonj-, and the task is both tedious and expensive. There are those that hare lately i spent from LSOO to LIOOO annually on rabbit destruction in order that they might save their graa3 and feed more sheep and cattle; but, if they are left to perform the good work single-handed, it ■will pay them better to graze smaller numbers and let the rabbits have their fling. It would be a pity if this should come to pass. Already therabbit pest is becoming universal in Southland, and it is fast and surely finding a footing in soma of the estates at the back of Oamaru. The fact must be apparent to all who know anything of pastoral matters —but, unfortunately, the Government is ignorant of such things—that land infested by rabbits is worth very much less on that account, the depreciation in its value being gauged i accordingtothenumberof those animals on such land. The Government should have : been aware of this fact, and have been j prepared —however annoying and inconvenient it might have been to bo compelled to do so—to continue to assist landowners in the work of extermination. The interests of landowners, whether private or Government, are mutual as regards this matter, and we shall be glad to hear that matorer and more intelligent consideration, or the counsels of those who have too good reason to know the seriousness of the rabbit plague, will cause the Government to alter the resolution which they have made to abandon the rabbit extermination subsidy.