THE RABBIT PEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13875, 12 April 1907, Page 5

THE RABBIT PEST.

DEPUTATIONS TO THE MINISTER OP LANDS. (Fson Ora Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND. April 11. It ' was represented to the Hoii.' ft. M'Nal) by members of the Kihikilii Town Board yesterday that rabbits wero becoming a serious pest in the King Country. The deputation urged upon the Minister tho necessity of some means being devised to cope with the alarming increase of tho pest, which found an unmolested breedingground on the huge areas of Nativo land lying idle. They considered the present method of poisoning unsatisfactory, and suggested that the bonus system of destruction should be reverted to for two years as a trial.

Mr M'Nab said that, bo was not in favour of reverting to the bonus system, because, .if it were instituted in Ki'hikihi, it would have to be done throughout tho colony, [nil, be promised lo go thoroughly into tho matter upon returning to Wellington. In tho evening, at To Awamutu, another deputation of settlers pressed tho rabbit nuisance question upon tho Minister's attention. Tho spokesman (Mr Corboy) declared that 110. Crown official could say that during the last, eight years poisoning had caused a. decrease in the number of rabbits. A dealer in Auckland was paying lOd per lb for rabbiiskins, and if iho Government paid lj[d per skin and established canning factories the rabbits woufd bo exterminated. "Do you know where the rabbits are worst in New Zealand?" asked the Minister. "No," replied the speaker. "Well, it is in Otaeo," declared Mr M'Nab, "where we have canning factories and freezing works." Another Speaker suggested that the Government could import wire nolting and allow settlcre to purchase it on easy terms. Mr M'Nab replied that for the Stato to step in as universal rabbit-killer was beyond tho range of possibility. He could quite understand why rabbits were kept down when the skins were paid for, berauso everybody wont catching rabbifs, and the landowner paid nothing. When the liability was, thrown on (ho owner nothing was done. The question was complicated in' tho district bv the existence of Crown and Nativo lands, but hi 3 department found that tho Nativo Department was not prewired to pay for the extermination of rabbifs, which flourished side bv side with canning factories, because sufficient, breeding stock was always left to allow of the industry contimiing. The suggestion in regard to netting was the most practical method. Ho had no power to buy netting, but he could see that it; was a useful method, and would look into, the matter to see if tho Government, could give assistance to farmers whose lands adjoined Crown and Native lands, so that a ring-fence of rabbit-proof material eo-.ild lie constructed. He once looked into the cost of killing rabbits, which were frozen and preserved in Now Zealand during one year, and found that it would cost £275,000 if the State did the work. Kiri Kiha, a chief of the Ngatimaniapoto tribe, came as a Maori deputation of one to the Minister 011 the rabbit qiicstioii, He was invited lo sit dowli,' hut, declined. "I am a chief, and I stand up to speak." he explained. " Salutations to you all," lie continued. "No good Iho rabbit' poison; pay threepenny again'; that's all: kia bra." Tho speaker emphasised his brief uttcrancfc by profacim; tho phrase "rabbit poison" with a sanguinary adjective. His deputation was nniquo in Mr Sl'Nab's experience.