WESTERN DISTRICT FARMERS' CLUB.

Southland Times, Issue 1792, 12 September 1873, Page 3

WESTERN DISTRICT FARMERS' CLUB.

0 The annual general meeiing of the Western District Farmers' Club was held in the Club-room, Jacob's Eiver, on the evening of the sth inst. Mr Jameß W. Hamilton occupied the chair. The following gentlemen were enrolled as members : — Messrs M. Instone, John Officer, J. B. Mills, J. W. Matthews, James Cook, D. Murchie, A. Miller, and Peter M'Neill. The treasurer's report, which was read ftnd adopted, showed a balance in hand of £12 2s 3d. The following gentlemen were elected officers for the ensuing year : — Mr James Mackintosh, Strathmore (President) ; Mr Jamet W. Hamilton, Flint's Bush (Vice President) ; Mr John Cumming, Jacob's Hirer (Secretary and Treasurer) ; and Messrs James Young, Bobert Hazlett, John B. M'Lean, Alex. M'Kenzie, John M'lntyre, Win. Hopcroft, Fred. Sutton, Bichard Bath, and Boss Bobertson (members of committee). It was unanimously resolved to hold an Agricultural and Horticultural Show in Biverton in April, 1874, and the following gentlemen were appointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements : — Messrs James Mackintosh, J. W. Hamilton, M. Instone, Boss Bobert■on, James Beid, J. W. Matthews, T. Daniel, A. M'Clymont, and M. Fallow. After considerable discussion, the following resolutions were agreed to : — " That the Club shall hold six ordinary meetings during the ensuing year, two of which are to be held in the Schoolroom, Gummy'f Bush." " That a ploughing match committee he elected at a future meeting, to be held not less than two months prior to the match." " That for the purpose of increasing the cumber of members, and extending the influence of the Club, Mr James W. Hamilton shall take a tour throughout the district in the month of December next." " That Messrs James Mackintosh and John Cumming be requested to bring under the notice of the Aparima Boad Board the necessity of enforcing the * Thistle Ordinance,' as thistles are to be found in several parts of the district." The following paper on the rabbit nuisance was then read by Mr James Mackintosh, of Strathmore .— Gentlemen,— Permit me to bring under your notice tbe^urgent necessity that exists for prompt measures being taken to check the marvellous * ncr *^L l) f *J»at destructive little animal, the rabbit, which threatens to overrun the whole of thi» district within a Bhort period. Already they hare-witended from the New Hirer Ferry to the Waiau, from the valley of the Aparima and the Oreo, to the foot of the Takitimo mountains, and I am told are to be found in abundance at Foreßt

Hill, Hokanuis, Mataura, and ; Oteraraika. Tt is evident that rabbits are now sufficiently distributed over the Southland district to cause serious alarm, when taking into consideration the fearful destruction caused by them iv other places. As yet they can be counted by thousands, and the eril produced by them has only been partially fe'.t, hut they will undoubtedly increase to millions unless most determined and ac'-ive steps are taken for their destruction. I hare repeatedly spoken to persons engaged in p istoral and agricultural pursuits, pointing out to them the imminent danger in which our interests are placed of being ruined by these innocent looking ittle pests. The correctness of my observations has not been questioned, but many seem to view the evil as an infliction to be patiently borne, whereas I contend we are called upon to meet the difficulty in the facp, and use every possible means within our power to stamp out the rabbit nuisance beforej they become so numerous as to render it impossible for us to cope with them. Having this object in view, united action on the part of the inhabitants is absolutely necessary, and to enable it to be carried out efficiently, the aid of the Legislature must be called into requisition to pass an Act empowering Municipal Councils and Hoard Boards to levy an annual tax for the destruction of rabbits, as follows, viz : —The Municipal Council of Invercargill to levy a rate of one per cent, on the annual value rental of all rateable property within a radius of five miles of the Invercargill Poet Office, and the Municipality of Riverton to le y a similar rate for the same purpose on all rateable property within a radius of three miles of the Riverton Post Office, and the various Road Boards to levy an annual tax for the same purpose of one penny per acre on all lands (not included in the areas mentioned), agricultural and pastoral, leased or sold, within the district By these means at least £8.000 would bo raised, which ought to be supplemented by the Government out of the general revenue by £8,00 J more, which will constitute ample "sinews of war" to commence hostilities against the rabbits. The expenditure of the £16,000 will of course be a matter for the Municipal Councils and Road Boards to determine. The principal ohject for the present should be to provide that in dispensable and all powerful commodity, for the prosecution of war to a successful termination, viz., " Money ! Money ! Money !" which has been pronounced by the " Iron Duke" to be the •'three things needful" to ensure victory. In our case determination, intelligence, and combined ac ! ion might be added. I mij, however, be permitted to offer a few suggestions. In the first place, having imported the rabbits to this country, it is manifestly our duty to import in large numbers ferrets, weasels, and stoats. They are to be found in every country where the rabbit is indigenous, and are no doubt intended to be their natural enemies, to reduce them in numbers, and prevent their becoming a plague, as in Tasmania, and as they are likely to become here. A sum of at least £6,000 should therefore be expended in importing ferrets, weasels, &c, from Great Britain or the Continent of Europe, to be distributed by Municipal Councils and Road Boards throughout the district ; and a further sum of £6,000 should be expended in salaries to experienced men to destroy the rabbits with dogs, snares, traps, &c. ; the balance, £4,000, to be at the disposal of a Central Board, composed of representatives from the Municipal Councils and Road Boards, to meet in Invercar gill as occasion may require, Buch Central Board to establish a dep6t for receiving the ferrets, &c, on arrival from Europe. And in addition to the numbers to be distributed as before-mentioned, ferrets, weasels, &c, should be kept at the dep&t for sale to any person who might desire to purchase them, to be retained in the district, but not for exportation. The Cenfral Board should also make arrangements to purchase all rabbit skins which can be proved to have been killed in the district, and to offer a premium of one penny per skin in addition to the market value of the same for exportation, or in other words should the market value be 3d per skin, the Board to pay 4d for every skin delivered at their depot. Experience will of course suggest various other methods for advancing the objects in view. In illustration of the danger to be apprehended from the rapid increase of rabbits, I may mention that the tract of country extending from tho New River Ferry towards Riverton, where, seven or eight years ago, flocks and herds grazed and fattened, not a blade of grass, or an animal of any kind, is now to be seen, unless rabbits, and how they manage to exist is a marvel, as they have no food other than coarse rushes and stumps of tusßacs. A scene of utter desolation presents itself for a distance of 10 or 12 miles, and this ruin is altogether attributable to the rabbits. In passing Waianiwa in October oflast year, I saw a small field of promising corn, which was afterwards destroyed by droves of rabbits that issued every evening from the bush in the neighborhood, and kept the crop so closely eaten down that the owner never reaped a sheaf for his labor. It is a well-known fact that the crops and pastures of Tasmania have been destroyed to such an extent by rabbits that the export of wool and grain from that island has diminished most seriously in quantity within the past two years. I maintain, therefore, that every individual in Southland is more or less interested in preventing a like result from taking place here. Tradesmen, merchants, and bankers should assist to ward off the calamity, as a falling-offof even a fifth of our product of wool and grain would quickly be felt, first by the stockowners and farmers, and in due time by the tradesmen and others with whom they have dealings. I am sanguine, however, that the people of Southland will not tamely submit to the same havoc being made here as in Tasmania. They have already shown a sample of their pluck and energy when occasion requires them to put their shoulders to the wheel. Seven years ago, scab in sheep prevailed to a considerable extent in Southland, but to the credit of the eheepowners, and the excellent Scab Inspector, be it said, the disease has become extinct ; and, reasoning by analogy, I conclude that the same measure of success which attended our ebeepowners when contending with a former difficulty, will ultimately crown our efforts in destroying the rabbits. In conclusion, I would suggest that public meetings be held at Riverton and Invercargill, to take into consideration the propriety of a memorial being drawn up and forwarded to His Honor the Superintendent of Otago, now at Wellington, praying that he may be pleased to introduce a measure into the Assembly, empowering the district of Southland to deal with the rabbit nuisance in the manner specified. A conversation then eusued, the tenor ! of which was commendatory of the suggestions contained in the above paper. It waa proposed by Mr John Cumming, seconded by Mr M. Fallow, and carried unanimously — " That while this meeting ! accords a vote of thanks to Mr Mackintosh for his valuable paper, it also en dorses the views embodied therein, and is of opinion that the necessary steps should at once be taken to have them carried into effect." The following motion was then proposed by Mr James Young, seconded by Mr M'Clymont, and carried unanimously —"That a public meeting of the inhabitants of the Western District be held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Riverton, on the 7th October next, at 7 p m., to take into consideration the best means of checking the increase of rabbits."