WILD LIFE CONTROL

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1931, Page 5

WILD LIFE CONTROL

ACCLIMATISATION WORK.

ATTACKS ON SOCIETIES.

The need for, members of acclimatisation societies to watch their interests vigilantly was stressed by the president of the North Canterbury Society (Mr. C. H. Lawrence), in addressing the annual meeting of the society, reports the Christchurch Times. Mr. Lawrence said that members would see from the newspapers that very determined attacks were being made on. the societies, not only on the work that they were doing, but also on their resources. Recent legislation contained a clause repealing the law which provided that opossum royalties were to be paid to societies. Now, it was at the pleasure of the Minister of Finance whether the societies were to get any opossum revenue or not. This movement had been in operation for some time, continued the president, and it was to bo hoped that the recent alteration to the law was not the thin edge of the wedge. It behoved the sportsmen of the Dominion,, who numbered some 50,000, to act decisively if any concerted move was made to take the revenue of the societies.

Despite the State Forest Service, it was the rangers of the societies who were responsible for the detection of breaches of the regulations,' he added. The money paid over to the societies was not taken by way of a tax on the community. The money was taken from the trappers, and the Government, in paying over about 47 per cent, of it to the societies, was not taking it out of the country’s purse. The opossum revenue was spent wholly and solely on the destruction of deer and in general acclimatisation work. Having regard for the fact that the society was responsible for the introduction of the opossums and that the ranging, in the main, was carried out by the society’s rangers, he thought it unfair that the revenue should be taken away. If it was taken away he did not know who was going to do the ranging.

The president added that he was glad to have received a letter from the president of the associated societies stating that the Minister of Internal Affairs had indicated thal at least some portion of last season’s revenue would be paid over to the societies. The sportsmen of New Zealand had a' very strong organsation, and it behoved them to present a united front if necessary.