THE RABBIT NUISANCE ACT

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 10

THE RABBIT NUISANCE ACT

MEETING AT RANFURLY. A well-attended meeting of runholders and farmers was held at Ranfurly on the I.sth, when Mr W. D. Snowball, District Superintendent of the Department of Agriculture for Otago, defined the attitude and desires of his department in connection with the rabbit question. Mr William D avies (chairman of the Maniototo Farmers’ Union) presided. Mr James Horn, M.L\, and the Hon. Robert Scott, M.L.U., were also present. An apology was received from Mr .) Bitchener, M.P., who, owing to a previous engagement, was unable to attend. Mr Snowball, who was well received, expressed his pleasure at the amount of interest shown bv the very large attendance at the meeting, which went to prove that the farmers were really in earnest to do their best to work in with li s department in order to deal successfully with the pest. He referred at some length to the recent prosecutions, and said that it was not his department’s wish to deal harshly by the farmers. At the same time he wished it to be thoroughly understood that landowners had to do their duty and respond at once to the directions of the inspectors. He went on to explain the Act m detail, and eairl that if a rabbit board was formed it did not necessarily mean that there would be no more prosecutions. * These boards consisted of from six to eight members for each •section, and the local inspectors, ex officio, co-operated with them. The board determined the means and the time most suitable for operations in their respective districts, and published in the local papers the dates when and where 6uch operations were to begin, it was then the duty of the inspector to report any person who was net at the time appointed complying with the requirements of the board. A question was put bv Mr Davis, jun., as to whether a man whose ground was fairly free from the pest could be compelled to join the board, and if a majority could compel the minority to come in with it? Mr Snowball replied that the.-board, once formed, had full power to do anything it thought fit. Mr Beattie said he understood rabbit boards already existed in South Canterbury. Could Mr Snowball inform the meeting as to whether they were a success or not? Mr Snowball said be could not say that they had been an absolute success. They bad done good work, but could do much better.

Mr Davis said he was convinced that no farmer wanted rabbits, and ho thought that if the inspector would set a certain area and fix a date when poisoning should commence it could bo done without rabbit boards, which appeared to him at present to have their drawbacks.

Mr J. Horn, M.P., asked whether six men in a board could not- find a better way than one inspector. There was a rabbit inspector there who had been in the district for a few years. Did they mean to tell him that that man could have the knowledge that six or seven men of the district would have ? A board would do far better work than could be expected from the inspector. Mr Armour said he would like Mr Snowball to explain and make quite clear to the meeting the attitude of his department in the matter of penalties. There was a feeling abroad that the local inspector influenced the magistrate in this matter, and he thought it was only fair that Mr Snowball should be afforded an opportunity of making a statement on this subject. Mr Snowball replied that so far as fines were concerned that matter was entirely left to the magistrate. The department had nothing directly or indirectly to do with the amount of the fine that was inflicted. The meeting, which was largely attended, and represented every outlying part of Maniototo, terminated with a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Snowball for his patient and able address, with an assurance that it was the desire of each and every landowner co do his utmost, assisted by the department, to deal with the pest. The visit of Mr Snowball has done much, we are informed, to counteract the somewhat antagonistic feeling which had arisen between landowners and inspectors, and much better results may be expected to ensue.