FARMERS AND THE RABBIT DEPARTMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1933, 25 February 1892, Page 15

FARMERS AND THE RABBIT DEPARTMENT.

At the close of tho meeting of the Waihemo County Council on Wednesday, the action of the Rabbit department was brought up for discussion, and severely criticised. Cr Dent said the conduct of tho department at the present time in compelling settlors to destroy rabbits when labour was scarce was simply shameful. Crops of ripe grain to his knowledge had been left standing for three weeks because men could not be obtained to reap it. This ho attributed to tho action of tho inspectors who compelled landowners to engago jnenio kill tho rabbits, and by this means absorbed the surplus labour, Ho moved-" That the clerk bo instructed to write ft

the Minister of L:uul-i protesting against the action of the rabbit inspectors, and pointing out the hardships which it entailed on soUlpik :\t a time of year when labour was scarce and men could not be obtained to gather in tho harvest."

Cr M'Laren seconded the motion, and pointed out that it was to no man's advantage to allow the rabbits to overrun his property. It nppeared to him to be the very worst season of tho year — thu harvest time, when labour was scarce— that the department had selected for compelling landowners to destroy the rabbits. The Minister, who well know the district, and was aware of its being their busy time, did not seem to care now that ho had got into power, but had shown a disposition to harass tho Kottleis rather than consider their interests, and had shown no sympathy with them iv their difHeultie.s. In their efforts to keep down the rabbits, tho large settlers absorbed all the sin plus labour, and fanners could not Ret men to help them \uth their harvc-t, and if thov had any rabbits they were harassed and dogged by the inspectors. lie con-.sidori-d they should piok-st against s-urli treatment.

C'r Ilobert'ion coi^idered it a frreat hardship that tho iiiKjiuctor.-s .should re-.^it to extreme nieasures at the present time. It appeared to him that the rabbit in^pectoro were determined to put down the factories at any cost and inciimenieuce to the settlers. Tho fanners were U:\vivbbCtl in fact tn put down factoyies. lie con--jidcreil it the duty of the council to protest ag.iiiist thu action of the Rabbit department. 'Hie Chairman had hi-? doubts whether any action o.i tho put of the rounril would do nuirli good. Personal ly he wmil I not take any part in it, seeinT that lie lia<l been siilijocte'l l>y the (tepavtment to a .system of persecution. I'd -show that he had buen taking active steps to dtitroy the r.ihbiU mi his I'un he stated that during tlus lnnnth of January he biii l paid away in waives L 147 and till he had received in return in the share of c.i.sli tor skins win L'J(>, leaving him with an expenditure of 1.V21. He hid iin v nnvil this law expendituro in the faro of the fact that the Dimlwk KaMiit Factory rnmiiß'nced otieiations an tiie Jst of Fcliniary; and yet he had lieon accused of farminyr.iliCits. llis reward for the extra effoits he h.id put forth to itestrny tho rabbits l.ut muiitU was tho service of tlnoo miiujiioji.scs on him that day. Ho niiffht state, however, that he understood the motives that prompted the department perfectly well, and it was shainoles* and disci edita'lle perseeulion. Ho had 32 men employud as ralibiti-is, everyone of thorn, with the exception of half a dozen, being pood binders and goxl harvest men, and yet when appealed to by some of his neighbours to let them have a man or two to help thorn with their harvest he w.i.s compelled to refuse knowing -that lie w.is in the power of the Minister, although the moil would have boon perfectly willing to go. The action of the iiwpectois wt>s simply a part of the system of toadying to thns-o mi power. Itospectinir the action towards him.-. 1. he treated it with the utmo-t contempt, and from its continuance he leg in to Wk uron it as rather comical than otliorwi.se. Ho intended to make no roposentationlo the department himself, knowing the motives from which it fcprang. but as the executive ollicer of the council he would, if desired, forward any resolution on the subject. Cr Hay remarked that nutwitli.ttnudiug ellorts lie had made to keep down the rabbit post on his land at Deepdi-11 ho had beeu summoned and lined lf> ami costs. Tho treatment wliii-h tho settleis wore receiving was harsh find unjust, and if such a state of things was to continue they might sis well live in Kus.sia. He heartily supported the resolution to tho Minister of Lands. Cr M'Leod considered the Rabbit department was going vsvthcv too fivv, and were foicius the settlor's to destroy rabbits at a time when all the available labour was absorbed, and harvest work was kept back for want of men. He would also support the motion. Cr Muir expressed the opinion that a firm protest against forcing settlers to destioy rabbits at this .season of the year was noccs«<iry, ami that it was evident the interests of the settlers were lundo a secondary consideration in the determination to keep down the factory. He would also support the motion. Cr Kennedy also agreed with what had been advanced against extreme measures being taken at the present time to kill the rabbits. Winter, he considered, was the proper scaspn, leaving the factories to do good and effective work in the summer months. He supported the motion. The motion was carried unanimously.