DESTRUCTION OF DEER

Otago Witness, Issue 4042, 1 September 1931, Page 9

DESTRUCTION OF DEER

MARKET FOR SKINS. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. •WELLINGTON, August 25. There appear to be good prospects in New Zealand for the marketing of deer skins from which footwear, motor gauntlets, ladies’ dress gloves and other useful articles can be made, judging by the comments made by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle) when interviewed regarding the matter. An interesting exhibit in the recent winter show at Christchurch showed what could be made of deer skins, he said. A very wide range of useful articles had been greatly admired by the public. “ We are trying to do what is possible to cope with the deer menace,” he added. “Our trouble has been to exterminate a pest of which the farmers have complained. I think it will be conceded that the’Department of Internal Affairs, with the drives it has made on the deer herds that have been doing so much damage, particularly in the South Island, has not in any way slackened in its efforts to lessen the agricultural and forestry evil so apparent to-day. In my opinion the work now undertaken in providing a market at fairly good prices for deer skins for useful commodities will tend to help in the destruction of deer, and will lessen the pest so widely complained of.”