The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. WEDNESDAY, 20th JULY, 1887.

Southland Times, Issue 9574, 20 July 1887, Page 2

The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. WEDNESDAY, 20th JULY, 1887.

Many and various, to ose a venerable form of expression, are the causes assigned for tbe depression. At the meeting of the local branch of the New Zealand Alliance on Monday evening the chairman seemed to attribute it to the inherited British thirst for what is familiarly called a drop of the creature. Scotsmen speak of porridge, the source | of their per/ervidum ingenium, thrift, mctapheesics, and other invaluable things, in the plural number, to signify their great respect for their national dish — the foundation of their greatness. In like manner have Irishmen dignified whisky, the national drink of both Ireland and Scotland, with the title of the Creature, as much as to say that it is the chief or best of their creature comfortß. But these, it would appear, are old fashioned superstitions. Porridge no longer occupies the place of honour it once did in the fare of Auld Scotia, having found a powerful) rival inj wheaten bread, which is now used as far north as John o' Groats, and even beyond the Pentland Firth ; and usquebaugh, for centuries regarded as mother's milk to Milesians and Caledonians, has fallen so low that it is actually blamed with causing the present phenomenal scarcity of hard cash. If there were no drink, said Mr Denniston, there would be no depression. Doctors differ. Sir Julius Vogel tells us it is our provoking sobriety that bas caused the collapse of the colonial finances. We have become so disgustingly temperate that even such an economical Treasurer as Sir Julius cannot get money enough out of us to carry on his Excellency's government in a reputable manner. In either case whisky loses its ancient renown ; though we are rather inclined to think that Mr Denniston and Sir Julius Vogel are both wrong. Neither of the two allegations will hold water, to use a strictly teetotal metaphor. Only imagine a commercial depression being caused by the natural thirst of Britons — the conquerors of the world 1 The teetotallers might as well tell us that it was caused by our love of roast beef and plum pudding. It is rather the depression that has curtailed our nips ; which statement disposes of Sir Julius Vogel's calumny that New Zealand Britishers were going in as a community for " the lean and sallow abstinence." Leaving, however, Sir Julius and the Alliance to settle their difference, we shall mention another alleged cause of the depression, viz., the rabbits. This, we admit, is a more likely cause. The grey rabbits are in a manner our rivals, contending with us for the possession of the colony. We all know how successfully they have carried on their operations in some parts of Southland and Otago ; and now we learn that they are menacing Canterbury, a district that has hitherto enjoyed in great measure an immunity from their attacks. A report of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Christchurch, to the Under Secretary for Crown Lands, Wellington, wbich was laid before the House last session, gives some interesting details on the subject. This official having, he said, travelled through the Mackenzie country, up the Pukaki Lake aDd Tasman River, Lake Ohau and tbe Hopkins and Dobson's rivers, then across Benmore to the Omarama station, and down the Waitaki to Kurow, found that " the Otago rabbit had established itself within the Canterbury district." Everybody knows how quickly rabbit3, as a rule, increase in New Zealand . Mr Baker is accordingly justified in raising his warning voice. Unless active measures are taken the portion of the Province lying between the Dobson aud Tasman rivers will soon be overrun; and the little pests will then cross the Tasman and take possession of thc Mackenzie country. Mr Baker noticed that they had become pretty numerous on the Benmore station along the Ohau river ; and after crossing the Ahuririhe found the country absolutely swarming with them. It was " literally eaten out — in fact, I do not think that even in Southland I ever saw them in denser numbers than in the Omarama country; and it is not to be supposed that the Ahuriri river, or even the Ohau, will stop them from infesting the Canterbury country if they are allowed to increase as they are doing on the lastnamed station." From all tbis it would seem that the Rabbit Department is not quite so alert as it ought to be. It costs the colony a large sum of money every year, but it may be reasonably doubted whether it does its work with anything like the requisite vigour. Many people hold that it might even be abolished with advantage to the country. This is probably an extreme opinion. Still that it needs wakening up there can be no doubt. It is only natural that the officials of such a department should, perhaps unconsciously, shrink from the thought of abolishing their own billets. They have, as it were, a kind of vested right in the depredations of the rabbits. Be this aa it may, a greater amount of energy and watchfulness is certainly needed. The Government should keep a sharp eye on the department. But the Government are in some respects greatly to blame themselves. Why, for example, have they obstinately refused to give Captain Baymond an appointment as rabbit inspector ? No man in the colony has done half as much to abate the pest as the Captain has done by his phosphorised oats ; nor is there anybody better qualified to apply this famous specific than its inventor. The Government have in fact done both tbe country and Captain Raymond a wrong by refusing him employment in the Rabbit Department. ' Tbey have made appointments, even in our own district, which are absolutely useless, and which contrast strangely with their professions of economy. For what one of these so cailed " Vogel's pensioners " get for doing nothing, or at anyrate for doing what could easily have beea done by other

half-employed officials in the locality, ' Captain Kaymond would perform a valnable service to the country. He would jbave a direct interest in showing that liis specific, which has been industriouslydisparaged by the department, is all that he claims it to be. If they did what was right they would send him up to Canterbury to avert the invasion with which that part of the country is threatened by the common enemy. Mr Baker says thatthe Canterbury runs which are thus in danger of being laid waste contain over a million and a balf acres, carry about 720,000 sheep, and yield an annual revenue of £25,800. Let them once be over-run, and the colonial revenue will lose at least half of that sum to say nothing of the decrease iu tbe production of wool, and the consequent loss both to tbe district and to the colony as a whole. Whether or not it be the case that the depression has been caused by drink, there can be no doubt that it bas been to some extent intensified by the remissness of the Kabbit Department.