SHARP CRITICISM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26904, 16 October 1948, Page 8

SHARP CRITICISM

RABBIT DESTRUCTION SCHEME

ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS

What he considered to be anomalies in the constitution of rabbit boards under the recently-formed Rabbit Destruction Council were pointed out to the Daily Times by Mr C. C. Capell, of Hawea Flat, yesterday. “ Some of the statements made by the chairman of the council while it was in Central Otago are rather misleading,” Mr Capell said. Concerning the cost to the country of tlie proposed rabbit destruction programme, he suggested that the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, should ask Federated Farmers to submit a statement of the estimated cost in each district, apart from the revenue received from the sale of skins and the rates collected. “I am sure it will run into hundreds of thousands of pounds,” Mr Capell commented. Criticising the method of voting by ratepayers to form a board, Mr Capell said that a majority of 51 per cent, was necessary. A man with 10 acres had the same voting value as a man owning 50,000 acres. If the board levied a rate on the high country of £d an acre and, for instance, 6d an acre on the low country, should the man on the lqw country object and the local board appeal to the council? he asked. Then the council would have no option but to reduce the 6d rate to Jd, because there was no compulsory voting—it was only by agreement.

Under the board system the rabbiter had to work only a five-day week of 40 hours, Mr Capell went on. His weekly payment was £6 4s, plus an allowance for horses, dogs, traps, etc., and a bonus on all skins as an extra inducement to work. “ Now. here' is the catch,” he remarked. “The council says that the rabbiter can work the extra day if he so desires, but it is not compulsory. By working from Monday to Friday he gets approximately £1 5s a day, plus the allowance and bonua but if he works on Saturday and Sunday he has to be paid extra, even if he has not been able to set a trap or catch a rabbit from Monday to Friday on account of the weather. This arrangement could be abused in our back and high country.” The Government should allow local boards to be set up in Central and North Otago, Mr Capell said. The board would be the only buyer of skins in the district and should make the summer price attractive and also pay .for small skins. He considered that'to be the only practical method in the Otago high country, and one which would cost the country only half the money compared with the cost to the landowner under the council’s programme. “Each local board would have its own inspector,” he continued. “If land was not being rabbited to the requirement of the local board, then an experienced rabbiter would be engaged. The price being paid throughout the year would be governed by the rate and the subsidy, plus the revenue from the sale of skins. Under these conditons labour would be used that would not otherwise be available.”

It was impossible for the owners of certain small sheep stations—either those formed through faulty sub-' division or properties cut up as runs for returned servicemen—to earn a living from the carrying capacity of the stock alone, and they must have either several months of alternative work or walk off their holdings, Mr Capell continued. These men were all good rabbiters. In February, 1940,- he said, a deputation met the Minister of Finance in Dunedin and suggested that the Government should be the sole buyer of rabbit skins. Another suggestion was for a more attractive payment to rabbiters in the summer by keeping a portion of the winter price back for a bonus on summer payment. Because of the strong opposition from the Department of Agriculture, however, the Minister did not adopt the scheme. FORMATION OF BOARDS DISCUSSION AT CROMWELL Special to the Daily Times CROMWELL, Oct. 15. A meeting of farmers and runholders of tlie Cromwell district, convened by the Cromwell branch of Federated Farmers for the purpose of discussing the formation of rabbit boards, was held in the Athenaeum Hall on Monday night. Mr M. Spain, chairman of the branch, presided. There were also present representatives from the Lakes and Alexandra districts. After prolonged discussions a number of resolutions were carried unanimously. They were This meeting of farmers and runholders, representing an area of 400,000 acres, is of the opinion that before rabbit boards are formed steps should be taken to ascertain if the money will be made available to operate the ‘ killer policy * advocated by the Rabbit Destruction Council.”

“ That a special committee, consisting of Messrs A. C. McElroy, J. Anderson, J. Radford, W. McMillan, C. Jardine and G. H. Wardell, be appointed for the purpose of preparing an estimate of the receipts and expenditure that will be necessary to adopt the ' killer policy.’ In estimating the receipts available, the committee will calculate on the hasis of a rate of a halfpenny an acre over the whole area.” “ That when the statement is available copies will be sent to the Rabbit Destruction Council, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Finance, and Mr W. A. Bodkin, M.P., who will be asked to obtain an assurance from the Minister that the finance will be made available by way of a Government subsidy, and that if the necessary Government subsidy is available that steps will be taken without delay to form rabbit boards.”