Small Birds' Nuisance Bill and Acclimatisation Societies.

Otago Witness, Issue 1952, 23 July 1891, Page 24

Small Birds' Nuisance Bill and Acclimatisation Societies.

TO THS EDITOE. Sib,— l notice that our worthy legitlators in Wellington are at present engaged, among other 1 measures, on what they call the Small Birds' Nuisance Bill, one of the provisions of which it that local bodies may apply some portion of their revenue to the destruction of the pest. Wow, Sir, as most of the booles referred to hive already more than enough to do with their funds, I take this move to mean that more taxation will be necessary should this bill be passed ; and as usual tbit taxation will full on the farming community, who were oertainly not responsible for the introduction of the pest into this country. An ther piece of news from the eeat of Government is that Mr T. Y. Duncan M.H E. for Oam am. Pr -poses to ask the Government to grant a subßidy ot £300 a year to acclimatisation socie! iei. Now, I ask, in all fairness, whether it would not be betier, if the Government are going to do anything in the matter, lh*t thsy should subsidise local bodies for the purpose of coping with this pest, rather than that they should grant a 6ubs'dy in order to provide amuiemsat for Mr Duncan and his friends at the publio expense ? I these gentlemen want amusement, by all means let them have it, but I fall to see why public money should be voted tor any such purpose. I think farmers' ctube and agricultural societies should most emphatically protest against any such abuse of publio money as granting subsidies to bodies who are directly respousible for the unall birds nuisance.— l am, &c, * OoHSISTKfT. North Otago, July 20. Roxburgh t. Cromwell. SlB —I notice in your Cromwell letter last week a report of the late football match between Boxburgh and Cromwell, in whioh the former ia not given muoh credit for beating Cromwell, which claim to have beaten us la«t year when both teams were in ! good fettle. This i» not true, as our boys had played I a hard match the daj before with Clyde, so tbey oould I not have been in such good fettle as Cromwell makes i out. Roxburgh has met Cromwell four times and I has beaten them three times Our boys are looking forward to the visit of the town team, as they picked up a lot from them last year, and that is how they beat Cromwell so eaeily. No 'doubt Boxburgh would arrange to play a match with Cromwell if they would agree to play at Alexandra South, whioh is about half way.— l am, &0., , Boxburgh, July 30, PujraiW.