ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13696, 11 September 1908, Page 6

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

A meeting of the Council of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was held at the Grosvenor Hotel yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs J. 8. Ruiheiford (president), W. G. Aspinall (secretary), A. C. Pringle, P. Coira, J. findlay, W. H. Brown, C. Hassell, P. ' roster, J. Ogilvie, Dr Hayes. Apology was made for Mr F. Brown. Xbe secretary reported that the debit balance that day was £33 C!t> 3d, with no liabilities to speak of. > Last year at this date the overdraft was £l4l. The :be*d rang«T, Mr Franks, n ported that he had acusted Mr Ayson in stripping in July. , .Owing to floods only 850,000 ova were obtained. With the use of Mr Ayson's cart he bad shifted a large number of fish from pools into tbe main stream of the Opihi. H. P. Brosoahan had been caught and convicted a£. penciling in the Opihi, and fined £lO. He had seen the mallards at Mr Gunnion's, Hae-hae-te-Moana, among a lot of greys. There were five millard at the reserve, and he looked forward to » good hatching. He understood that ,tha Society was getting some fry from Hakateramea. If they were to be reared he must get boxes ready; if to be liberated he asked for instructions where they were to be placed. He had planted some trees for shelter purposes on the reserve. Mr R. Ferguson, Pareora ranger, reported that the Pareora promised to be in good order for the opening of the season, and some fairly big fish were scattered oTer the stream. He had been kept b»y repairing fences, etc. damaged by the July flood. He suggested the use of stakes instead of standards in the low places, the standards being-so easily twisted. Tbe course of the river* had changed in some places, and at tbe railway bridge was now running in two stream». Two or three days were spent in looking for isolated fish, but he found none except small ones, which he considered saie. Poaching, h* considered, was at a minimum. Mr Hassell said poaching was rife in the Tengawai, they were getting away with cartloads. In connection with the poaching case, a ( letter was received from the defendant, asking that the spear handle be returned* to him, as it was a good vaulting pole. (The spear had bttn confiscated.) —'Ihe application was discussed pretty fully, the majority were strongly opposed u> returning the pole, though two members were willing to return it, and a third was willing to sell it. It was contended that the law did not provide for the return of confiscated toot, and it did not signify that the pole belonged to another man. The borrower took the ri>k. One member moved that the pole be returned, and another who seconded the motion, said he did so because the fine was bigger than had ever been imposed in the Old Country for a first offenco. The motion was put and lost, only mover and seconder voting for it. Several criticisms were passed by Messrs Ha.«sell and Foster on the appearance of the Temuka reserve. The house, they added was in very bad order, tbe timber full of borer*. Th-y conoidtred that the ranger should put in soinof hi* sparo time in improving its appearance. Mr Findlay admitted that the reserve did not look as well as it might, but rough growth were required for >belter for the birds. Tin* president >aid he bad seen the reserve that morning, and he was very mucn dixsati-iied with its condition. The ranger ought to have done more work about the place, to have prevented it getting into such a disgraceful condition. Th® secretary Mated that the agreement with the ranger did not require him to improve the p;»|>erty, nnd his time, war, very fully occupied in ranging. If tbey expected him to 1* a caretaker of the property they mu«t pay for it. Dr Hayes suggested that the ground be cleared of gome, hedge* trimmed, some flax and toi planted, and the ranger bp then exp*ct«-d to keep it in oio.r. Some waterside plant* were nevd.-«i to shelter the wild fowl in the vuinrm-r. Mr Hawll moved and it was camel that a sub committee Mwn. Onra. Brown and I)r Haye» 1* empowered to have tbo fences trimmed, and the fic<hold and rej»-rv-> put in order. n-«>«t tu»t to exec* d £2O) nnd that thereafter the ranger l»e ia»trnrtol to keep the place in order.

Mr Afpinall reminded the Council that Mr Ayson had promised ratni>ow trout, in return for the ova he got fmm th.- Opihi. He expected that 70.000 to 100,000 would be given. Mr Pringle opciwd a little di'<-iiv>!>>n oq the question of tbe profit made by the Government on the sale of tin- frr. 3* per 1000. It was replied that th# rearing of fry wa® profitable, but it re

quired a good deal of capital to establish a hatchery. The secretary said that when the fry came they would be kept for some time, and the Council would d*acide what should be done with them, when the fry arrived; it was not known yet what, surfc„,the fry would be, brown, or rainbow. Mr Findlay said, the boxes had been put into water to get them ready. The president said they must not forget that jt had been agreed that Lake Alexandrina should be stocked with rainbow trout, and Mr Has sell said it would be better worth while putting them there than in the rivere.

The question of appointing agents to issue licenses at a commission, of 5 per cent., as had been the practice for some vears, was raied at the previous meeting, and recommended : that the commission should be reduced to 2i, sportsmen' being looked to for assistance. The secretaiy pointed out that it was impossible for him to issue licenses all over so large a district, and it would not do to have a large number of people issuing license?. The change was recommended because of difficulties experienced in Timaru, and it was suggested, that the same arrangement of deputy license issuers adopted in Temuka, would meet the case of Timaru. The matter was left in the hands of the secretary, one T" an only to be appointed in each centre.

Among the outward correspondence read was a long letter to Dr Ross the Society's delegate' to the | annual conference, stating this society s ! views on certain of the remits that, were I to be dealt with by the conference, j A letter from Dr Ross, covered the recommendations of "the conference to the Minister, and tlie Minister's "replies thereto, and, a report of the conference, with margina l not as. Mr L. Tripp, President of the Association, wrote on 17th July that when the resolutions of the conference were ! placed before him Mr Millar, Minister t of Marine, did not hold but much hope of preventing the netting of trout at the mouths of certain rivers, which he did not look upon as trout rivers. He thought- that, fishermen should not" be prevented from getting the food supply which came up tho6e rivers, but he would look into the matter further. He would not extend the right to net. With refer>nce to the acclimatisation of Atlantic salmon, he did not thmk that ho would be able to obtain any this year, as he had put money on the Estimates for other fish from the tjnited Kingdom. Early next year he would make inquiries, and if he thought he could obtain a. large supply , of trout ova from Canada, he might, with the approval of his colleagues, put something on the Estimate's. As to the English minnow as a food for trout he would, if possible, get eome when getting other fish from Home. A communication from «the Rotorua Society asked for assistance in. resisting a demand on behalf of Rotorua Maoris, that they should be free to fish and shoot all the year round. The ground for the demand was the destitution of the, people, and the Society's inquiries Had elicited that this was untenable, and then the petitioners fell back_ on the Treaty of Waitan'gi. —lt was resolved to give such assistance to the Society as could be afforded. New regulations have been gazetted regarding branch societies, and the secretary said that this Society would have to revise its rules considerably and re-regis-ter, in order to comply with the new regulation*. 'Sub-committees were appointed in Timaru and Temuka to prepare draft revisions of the rules. Mr E. F. Stead forwarded a circular letter pleading for the removal of the subsidy for the destruction of black 6hags. The Canterbury Society had ceased paying for them. —The secretary had replied that this society bad decided to discontinue such payments. A draft of proposed regulations to control the storing of trout in freezing chambers was received. These if carried will permit fish to be so stored and taken out. only on permits from tl»e secretary to the local society.—Mr Hassell nirved that the u-eight to be stored should be limited to 112 lbs at any time for each licensee.— This was carried by five to four.—ln the counse of the discussion it was stated that the kwsees of the netting of the Mackenzie lakes had been unable to sell trout in Timaru, because they were undersold by sellers of trout from Temuka. The Council then proceeded to consider recommendations made by the annual meeting. The fiist was a proposal to reduce the cost of ranging.—Mr F<*>ter moved that the Council remove the rauger from the Pareora until the Waimate S'ciety agite to share the cost of ranging. That society .reaped the benefit of their ranging and paid nothing for it. After a good deal of discussion it was resolved to give a month's notice to the Pareora ranger, and that the Waimate Society be communic.it ed with on the subject of paying half cost of ranging the Pareora. Thq question of preventing 'strokehauling" in the Opihi came up next. Mr Hansel! suggested bags of. shingle with loose ends, as the most effective preventative. Mr Findlay suggested that "stroke-hauling" could not be defin-d: they should define what would be legal tackle. Mr Pringle said they could not do it to cover all cases, but if the ranger brought up a man who was using a suh picious gear, anglers could bo called to prove that the gear was irnprojKi. Tho secretary said they could not. get a convictim in that way. Mr Fuidlav considered that any " loul hooking " to be an offence, and it was said that " foulhookiug" might hapjieu with the honest angler.—The plating of obstructions was discussed, and Dually it uu.unanimously resolved that the ranger b.inxtructed to examine tackle, and prosecute in any case wlieiein he jrnigeu the gear to be illegal. The limitation of the weight of backets was recommended, sav to 40 or bO lbs.—Mr Hatsell sj>oke in support ol this recommendation, an in the gnat majority of cases big bankets were taken for sale, not f<r sport. Ho would make the hum 60 H*>.—Mr Findlay would .support *ikproposal if the limit wtie made 1 cut. A man might have bad luck t-ew-r.il iiin-f. running, and it would be hard to cut bun so hlioit ou Itilucky day. How- \ui>' they to apply the t.M: Tne ranger couid not be there U» weigh the fish.— 1 be %ec rvtaiv reminded tin- meeting ol thi«e w ii>> came all tin? way Iroui hnglaii'l to tisli .ill day. It would not answer at all. Il there was a limit t«» the number of fish theic- might Ik- bomething m the proposal but with millions of fish coming in from tha *ea i»- wa> quite unnec ssaty. The Mieaiii!) wtr** iteming with tith ; he had even irout hi the utie.-t eli.mnctfi of 'leiiitika. 'lll# Pacific i c-«-an was the mit»ry for the rivers, and they eoul«l not drain tlie itvaii. When they were ciining into the Tvtntika for s|Kiw'nmg. he had i«e«-n the liver bottom black with big finh.—Mr FcnU-r s.mi the tourist anglers <iui not get th'- big tish lit took th«* local iikii to get themi »o that the vi«»iU>if» w.-uld not lx- injured. He >j>oke of quantities of firli X"" 1 ?, l " L'hristchurch through the Kxprc.** company. (The M.-crctaty *>ii<i tin- Kxpi«f» eom|uny mad-- u-c of to <li>t i :!iti*.v fi»li among the friend* of I'hr.Tttchurch ii«i; lets, i -Mr F».»tir naid hj- did ii"t want to jjvt at Mich |«-> jiSe. but ut liK.il }«>: hunt er>. After a di*(-u»*i"!i it w an re marked that it w .i/> a \ci v 'ant question to |>v •.»■!! Ird bv a »ina!l lt!i»«n, alhi I lr ilny-s. had left, the i Mf>sr» H.vrwrl! and nto\.-d »hat a limit of 601b» }>f pi need <■« c-uii day'* tinhinj;, on •»!! r;vn«. in the *oeieiy"« tnet, and that ilk* r«gulation? b« a!t«t»d aecfirtiin;;ly. Tii" •>.mi sin- tn-» ti«)»l if (amcd w- tl?ii (»■ runiiri». away vi«stinjj angir:* 1 he jurri.tftji Jr-h «vnjjia!hv for the <» <. i! from ('{jri*teh*irrh. wji - ' -aoiild }><■ ei-ni}!--il rd to utoji iisi ilar'ft *jxir:, if iuiky, i«.

fore the day was over. —After a long discussion the motion was carried. tor. mover and seconder, Messrs Pringle and Ogilvie; against, Messrs Rutherford, and Findlay. ■ > ■ Mr Findlay gave notice to. move at nest meeting thai the resolution be rescinded. The Council rcse at 5 p.m.