SMALL-BIRD PEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2782, 10 July 1907, Page 11

SMALL-BIRD PEST.

ACTION BY THE FARMERS' UNION. (Fbom Oce Special Cobbespondent.) WELLINGTON, July 3. At the Farmers' Union conference to-day Auckland and Southland supported a remit —"That the laws relating to the destruction of small birds shall be rigidly enforced against all town authorities, the precincts of the towns now proving a secure breeding place for them, whence they spread through the country." Mr H. J. Richards (Levin) said the people of the south suffered in their grain, but on the Manawatu coast it was the fruit that was ruined. It was impossible to have a single late variety of fruit on the trees. The president said that about eight years ago at a conference in Dunedin, when Mr Ritchie wanted a general bill dealing with the whole of New Zealand, the speaker had vigorously and successfully resisted its course. Evidently the act was not in force in the North Island. He confessed now that he was wrong, and that it would have been better if he had not succeeded. However, the act could now be brought into force in the North Island if the local bodies in conference desired it. Mr Ritchie said he hoped that an amending bill would be brought in this session. He 6tiU thought it would be almost impossible to deal with the birds in the towns without going further than the act provided, as they could not poison or trap. His idea was that they should compel every body to harry the birds and prevent them from existing on their properties. It might be made an offence to allow birds to nest within a certain distance of their houses or on small sections. The President : It would have to be wilfully allowing. Mr Ritchie : Well, 6ay knowingly. The motion was carried. Mr Stewart (Otago) moved — " That where there is no provision made by local bodies the Minister of Lands be requested to instruct the stock inspectors to prepare suitable poisoned seeds for the destruction of the small birds in the same way as they now prepare pollard and grain poieon for the destruction of rabbits, aleo that the stock inspectors be instructed to enforce the Small Birds Nuisance Act by compelling the governing authorities to make war against a pest more destructive to grain growers than th.-* rabbit pest. Mi Ritchie endorsed a suggestion by the president that a certain day should be fixed for universal poisoning. H" said they might have the thin^ arranged by a board, on which the local bodies would be represented. Thpy could feed the birds for a while, and then suddenly, without a moment's not'ce, poison all over the country. The motion was agreed to, with slight dissent. A vo>e of thanks was accorded to Mr Ritchie.