ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12905, 17 February 1906, Page 6

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

A meeting .of. the Council of the Souths Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was: held oil "Thursday;'.'■ afternoon.. ~5 Messrs W, (chairman), P. Eostera P/Coira,.F. Parser, W.H. Brown,. ;W.' Beckingham, D. Taylor, J. S; Ruther;--ford," ]£: OrbeiLand L. Asphiall v(ssaere_taiy). An' apology ''was"received:for, the. : of X)r Hayes; ■.-■■.-' —^ The ranger at the Pareora' River '.'ifc j'ported that good baskets of trout wersL ber ' -mgl*takeii on the Pareora. He noticed- that. .rib w§s. alleged that poaching:'was.going; oft therej "but he'had a, "result the man who started the story about ■,. poaching admitted he did so only on hear«ay:.evidence. However, he-would do. his - -!l>e"sV to bring any offender ta book. v WSl lhe head .ranger..reported that he had " BTfected yards on-.the'Society's; neW reserve,. - y Mallard, and; 'pintail ducks to this place. : OheY-pin-taiJ; duck .had. been kffled- stoat'or -water : ixai,.; - -He had repaired the -road -at Bangi- ' tata Reserve and fil'led'in: the» gully. : . Som& fish confined in pools near Kerryijo.wn, hadi been shifted.. Be watched the- river- at Mr . . JKelman's ' for a fortnight,': and also the ; He. had ..some trouble owing ""to anglei&-not. carryV ing their licenses with them when fishing'. He camght" two men torching- int the Te Ngawai River, and two others i»p«rted,.fpr fishing without licenses. j;He |be gjad|if liuW witH a pair of field?glasses. j'JL "1 "*■.•• The chairman said -with regard t^ r al : leged poaching on the Pareora the rangers had Me .driver; for a couple of ■weeks, but detected no poaching. Some fishermen in that locality resented the; presence of the rangers, not knowing theyjwere officers of the Society, but this had! been smoothed over. He was of opinion that the rangers.-should be provided, with good field glasses', as it would gfeat]y help their, work. Messrs McGoverin and Hardy had! sold their property near Waimate. a,nd had a '" ■ number of .ducks, etc., to dispose of. Mr 3?. Brown had been negotiating for the purchase of some of these birds, and Messrs McGoverin and Hardy had promised to let the Society have some of the birds. In regard to .the purchase of red deer, Mr RichardsoiV had been written to, and replied! that he knew of twelve, r'eer which originally came from-Kowai Island, but he did not krow if they were all red deer. A petition had ■ been -received many resi- - dentti if the Geraldine IH?t-?ct to prevent poac';:nw. He thought i' impracticable to keep 5 ranger at Geraldiw rb-w. "'' '

Mr Oibell mentioned that _there_ was a 'tint at' which TVas supposed. to be for picnic parties. The picnickers se'S|ed ; vto do a good, deal' of j poaching, party had been there fish were absolutely unobtainable. The chairman said the ranger would bs instructed to look into the matter.

It was decided to reply torr-the Geraldme petitioners informing themStkat it was not -deemed necessary to ha.TO?&;-,ranger at Geraldice just now. " ,^wJ& .■-The matter,of ducks from Messrs McGoverin and Hairdy was left in the hands of Messrs F. .Palliser, F. Brown and J. S. Rutherford. '

The chairman said that the bank balance, stood at .£37. 8s 6d, ..hvt there were some Hee--.se fees to come' la yet. The fixed" deposits amounted to £l5O, due Jan'uarv 11th. and £IOO, tine October 21st. Messrs JiT P. V. Sealjv T.; F. Wooffenden, v/hite and Burden Trere elected of the : Society", without opposition. . -, 1

Mr. Grbell raised a discussion on. the matter of preventing illegal methods of get-the-genaral opinion being that the detection, of such practices was- vesy difficult: .:"'• ••; • > ~-. ■-■ ■■ ■

.■•> P.: Foster.-.-lodgea' a' : stroug protest gainst a certain angler who'-took a dog on to the Opibi Eraerve recently,- and refused -to take it, off irhen asked by the .speaker to do so. Mr Palliser said that he hacl ah apology from that angler in hi 3 p.ocket,- and - a satisfactory explanafen of the'ihai-Uer had been made.- ;"• - :

.. Mr brought up the r matter of tlie •importafinn of?partridges into this district, li was' decided to consider the matter at a iature meeting.*. "It was decided to visit- the Pareora Efe--serve some time next month to inspest : birds there.- ...-'.

Accounts, amounting re*- £22 5s 3d,, were passed for fjsynsent, and" the adjourned. -..'■. =