OTAGO ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18591, 27 June 1922, Page 3

OTAGO ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETING. Tha annual meowing of the Otago Acclimatisation Society was held last evening in tha N.Z. Express Company’s buildings, and "aa presided over by Mr G. W. M‘lntosh. The annual report, in a summarised form, lias already been published. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of tlie report and balance sheet, said that the finances of the society were in a very satisfactory state, and this was largely due to licenses and the royalties received on opossums. They oould not expect to do so well from, opossums in the coining year. Fishing licenses had been "ell maintained. and the rivers had been well stocked with fish. He expressed « strong wish that anglers would assist Mr Howes in affording every information they could as to what the fish taken by them had been feeding on, so as to ascertain what form of food there was in the rivers. When the society got that information it would make a strong effort to replace and increase the food, particularly where there was a scarcity. A new feature in the past year had been the introduction of a license for shooting native game, and ha was pleased to say that the necessity for that was now on the statute books. It would be of great benefit to sportsmen, and there would not be so many shooting native game. He had heard very few objections to the legislation, which sportsmen would appreciate very much. There would not, perhaps, be so much game shot and funds had been placed in the hands of the council to largely increase native game. They had established a place at. Clinton where they intended to place the grey duck, and they hoped the result of (he experiment would be that they would be able to raise large numbers of these birds. On© of the principal questions the council had been faced with was the large increase in the deer herds. Deer had incre,oscd in such numbers that they were destroying the forests, and the undergrowth, and' the department would probably take steps to cull doer, so as to reduce the number. The nninnat salmon had been established in Otago w’aters, and there had been a big run up the Molyneux River as far as Wanaka. He found that in the. north the societies were taking strong objection to the introduction of these fish. They did not consider quinnat. a good sporting fish and felt that they were eating out the trout food, and that the trout .would ' n consequence deteriorate. The quinnat was not as pood a food fish as the Atlantic salmon, anil strong efforts had been made by Acclimatisation Societies to induce the Government to again attempt to import. Atlantic salmon. Another matter was the planting of the society’s property at Clinton with frees. There were 40 acres that could be planted. That, would not, bring in any ioturn for some time. This year they would make a start with the planting, though they might not get the whole'area planted in one year. Hedgehogs had been introduced into various parts of the country, and it was as well to mention that these were dangerous to young ducks, chickens, and destructive of eggs. The idea in introducing the hedgehog had been to get rid of blight and insect life, but it had been proved that they had a wider diet than that. It would be a good thing keep the hedgehog out of the country where there was game. Mr R. Conn seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and balance sheet. Mr F. W. Pellett, speaking of opossums. said that he had certified to 1000 skins got in a fortnight from the Clinton bush ’lhe report and balance sheets wore adopted. The following office-bearers were elected:—President, Mr G. W. MTntosh; vice-presidents—Messrs R. Rutherford and K. Conn; and members of council —Messrs C. Baker. .1. Hungerford, R. A. Rodger, C. A. Wilson, J. H. Stewart, and S. F. Aburn. It was agreed to reduce the number necessary to form a quorum of members at a meeting of the society from 20 to 12. ... The Chairman referred to the efficient services rendered by Mr F. W. Pellett, who was in charge of the hatcheries at Clinton; Mr R. Hanning, the secretary. Mr Duncan, Mr Button, and Mr Ford, of Pembroke, and moved that members constituting the staff of the society receive a bonus on their salaries of 15 per cent., the same as last year. The motion was seconded by Mr R. Conn and carried. On the motion of Mr C. Wilson a vote of thanks wa.s passed to Messrs W. Black, and -T. Austin for assistance in stripping fish, and it was resolved that a donation of 5 guineas be made to these gentlemen. At the instigation of Mr Finlayson a vote of thanks was accorded the various committees of the society. Mr H. T. King urged that there should be one license for duck shooting for the I whole dominion instead of paying for a license for every district. He had been duck shooting in three different districts, and had had to take out a fresh license for each. The Chairman said the question had come up at the conference, and it had been pointed out that it would be hnfair to have one license to cover the whole dominion. because some districts were stocked with game, while others were not. In the case of fishing it was different. Mr R. Conn, in moving a vote of thunks to the president (Mr G. W. MTntosh), reforred to that gentleman’s ability and zeal in guiding the affairs of the society. The motion was heartily seconded by Mr R. Rutherford, and carried, and a vote of thanks to the press concluded the meeting.