S.C. ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14424, 21 April 1911, Page 2

S.C. ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

MEETING IN TIMARU. A meeting of tho Council of tho South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was held in the Grosvenor Hotel vesterdav. Present —Messrs J. ». Rutherford (chairman), W. G. Aspinall (secretary), P. Foster, P. Pall:ser, P. G. Allen, A. C. Pringle, P. Coira, W. 11. ISrowu, D. Taylor, and Colonel lteckingliani. THE SHOOTING SEASON. The Society had written to the Minister recommending an open season tor swans, pukaki. grey duck and especially oaradise ducks which had becomo a nuisance. Tho Society had also suggested that decoys be limited to lo lor each gun, mi-mis to bo at least bU vards apart. . The Minister telegraphed m replythat he was not prepared to allow an open season for paradise ducks. A Gazette notice proclaimed the birds which would ho allowed to be shot. (This lias already been published.) No answer was received to the pro. posed limitation of decoys, and the situation of mi-mis. Mr Palliser drew attention to tho Fact that in the Gazette nr.tieo relating to the shooting searon the boundaries of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation district; were wrongly described. Some vears ae;o when a conference was held between the Waitaki and South Canterbury Societies relative to boundaries for fishing, the South Canterbury Society agreed to allow the southern Society to include Lakes Ohau and Middleton in their district, and to come up as far as Pukaki, but this was for fishing purposes only. It 'now- appeared that this boundary had been defined for shooting also, and the mistake should be rectified. They might be selling licenses to shoot deer in the country referred to at some time, and it would be a serious thing if they wero deprived of all this country. ' The Secretary was instructed to write pointing out the mistake, and to get it rectified. RANGER'S REPORT. The report of the ranger for the past month was read, his diary showing his movements for each day since last meeting of the Council. The report showed that he had been all around the district watching for people who might be illegally taking trout or shooting ducks. He had sent two cans of trout to Major Spencer at Orari, and sent three pairs of mallard ducks to Timaru—a uair each to Messrs Palliser, Allen and Pringle. SHAGS. I- The 'Waitaki-Waimate Acclimatisation Society wrote that as shags wero increasing they recommended the purchase of the head s of these birds. There was no doubt but that shags were destructive to trout, and should he kept down as much as possible. Thev proposed to pay 2s per head provided the birds are killed in their district. It was decided to reply that the South Canterbury Society has been buying the heads of these birds for years past. AVASHDYKE LAGOON.

A long discussion took plaoe concerning the closing of the AVashdyke lagoon as a sanctuary for wild fowl. Mr Aspinall enquired who asked for it to he closed. He was himself chairman of the Society in 1906 —the' year in which it was closed, and he knew nothing whatever about it. Mr Palliser said he believed,that Air H. G. Ell, M.P., for one of the Christchurch seats, was responsible for it. In 1906 he came down to Timaru and endeavoured to get him (the speaker) and Mr M. J. Knubley (a former President of the Society) to agree to the closing of AVashdyke. They both declined to do so on the ground that it would be a grave injustice to Timaru sportsmen, especially as the Milford laeoon was closed. He (the speaker) told Mr Ell that if he would assist them to get Milford reopened he would then consider giving his support to the closing of AVashdyke. Mr Ell would not do that, -and they heard no more ahout it. AVashdyke had evidently been closed in a very underhand wav.

Mr Aspinall asked by what right Mr Ell interfered in tin's way. He was not a member of the Society, nor a license holder under it, and it "seemed to him a very strange thing that he should meddle with the affairs of tho Sociotv m this way. If Mr Ell must meddle, why had he not gone to the chairman of the Society instead of to two members. No member of the Society had ev»r asked that AVashdyke should be pje=rd_, and in the circumstances he th--:-:si':it tli-y should send ou urgent w: it > in t!-* Min : s±er askiim that it be iv r:pe:iod .-,-.- M.iy Ist, so that Timaru s-.>.-rt 1-:; 1;.,-,, could ra there for the si:-.--it;ij_- -hi? enminer season. On looking up the Gazettes he found that it was proclaimed a canctuarv temporarily on November Ist. 100G Air R Mr-Nab belli;; then the Minister hi charge. On Febniarv 7, 1907 it was permanently reserved without the knowledge, or .wish of the Societv

Mr Rutherford said that it J time should be lost if thev were to .>ot the reaction removed I,y Mav Ist? ;'l,^n V i °"- tl ; e bot ? ks il,at •■»' effort should be made to have the lagoon rei'?e'tln.', WaS !MS3ed at tlle I )rcv "-'<™s Mr Aspinal l said he was afr-r'cl tlm -A invster would do nothine, „ e Stl'liW "W t0 re - 0 - W Mflford stm th-=y could trv fi,,,l ?"i lis3r , sa;(! tl,e ? first find out by whose authority the AAVh dyke was closed. Tli-n l,,wL i that they would have t h'gf to°"o on in asKmg the Minister to re-open ft Other members said tint wh-li "i, ™* dating the blame home tlev ■would ba losing time and would not M-,y Ut ab ° t0 get * ™>™* X

Mr 'Palliser said they would not be :tble to get it rc-opened this veur, but they Illicit Jiext. Mr Foster proposed and Air Taylor seconded:'"That the secretary send an urgent wire to the Minister asking that the Washdye lagoon bo're-opened by May Ist."

Sir 'Palliser moved an amendment: "That the society should iirst ascertain who w:is responsible for closing tho lagoon." This was seconded by Mr Pringle. Ou the amendment being put it was lost, only mover and seconder voting for it.

The motion was then put and carried.

Colonel Beckingham and Messrs Foster and Allen were appointed a committee to wait on Mr C'raigie M.P., to ask him to back up the soc.'oty in its etforta to get this lagoon re-opened. A COMPLAINT. Mr Palliser rose to complain of the inconsistency of certain members of the Council in voting at one-meeting for tho closing of certain waters and then voting tho opposite way at the next meeting. Messrs Allen and Foster explained that they were not present at the meeting when Mr Palliser's motion for the closing of AVashdyke was carried; had they been they would have opposed it as an injustice to Timaru sporting men. They had as much right to consider shooting men as those who only went in for sport with the rod. Mr Palliser then denied that lie had proposed a motion to close the AVashdyke lagoon. AYliat he had proposed was that AVashdyke should be'closed :f they could get Milford opened. Mr Aspinall looked up his minutesof the meeting referred to and read tho motion proposed by Mr Pallisor: "That Milford be withdrawn as a sanctuary and that AVashdvke he closed in its stead." Air Aspl-nall added that the report in the "Timaru Herald" also showed that Mr Palliser had proposed that AVashdyke be closed as a sanctuary, and there was no doubt hut that the report was correct. It was well known that the Government would not re-open Milford,. for the society had tried and had met with a point blank refusal.

Mr F-alliser said he knew his motion %vel\ enough and it was not as stated. Mr Coira said it was, and other members endorsed tin's.

After some further assertions and denials, the chairman said they would pass on to other business. POACHING.

An interesting discussion took place on poaching, tlu doings of young men. from Timaru, and of another ga.. from Temuka, being recounted with lavish detail. It was said that those poachers carry on their nefar.ous p;ac. tices in broad daylight Us well as undt'r cover of darkness; that they have red, green, and white lights by which tliey flash signals of approaching danger;, that they have a boundary rider on horseback to carry away the spoil quickly in case <;f danger; that a good many of the fish so caught, come into Timaru; that one night a Timaru gang had taken a trap from a yard in Timaru . (unknown to the owner) and after driving to the Opihi and getting a load of fish, had driven over a gravel pit in the darkness and smashed the trap to pieces; that the names of the poachers were known; and that it was now only a matter of time when they would be run t» earth and get their deserts.

Some Timaru anglers who admitted having seen .the poachers at work, were Warned for having failed to lay an information against them. - , Messrs Foster and Beckingham sard it was news to thorn that poaches went out from Timaru; they would like to know who they were. The secretary said the ranger had the names. It was agreed that no matter what the cost, the society should run the two gangs to earth. IMPORTING BIRDS. Mr Aspinall said that Mr D, McKenzie, of Auckland, and a, member of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, had asked lum whether the South Canterbury Society would assist in importing some birds. He reminded Mr McKonzie that when this society wanted to import some stubhle quail a few years ago, Auckland farmers had objected, and the Government stopped them from doing what they de'red. Mr Beckingham said it would be a good thing to introduce some new birds, and it was decided to get further particulars from the' Auckland Soc-'ety as to what kind they propose to import.

GENERAL. Mr Foster referred to the continued breaches of the regulation against taking clogs on the reserve at the o[>.hi. The dogs had worried sheep on two occasions lately. It was decided to strictly enforce the regulation. It was agreed that in compliance with a promise to the Maoris, the bar of the Opilii should he left closed for a week or two at this season of the year to allow them to cate'h, a supply of eels for the winter. Mr Rutherford suggested, that a ranger be nut on at Lake Alexandrina. —This was agreed. Mr Palliser mentioned that lie had had ample proof this year that rainbow trout will breed and do well in the Pareora river.

Dr Davis, of Temuka, was appointed a member of the society. It was decided to procure s.:imo pheasants from the Government (£lO worth) for hbemt'on in dfferent parts of South Canterbury. It was agreed that the annual meeting of the society should be held in Timaru next month. ACCOUNTS. The secretary reported that there ivns now .1 debit balance of £76 16s at the Bank .due to the fact that the society had paid for the new house for the rsiuser. The contract ra-iee of -this was £419; then there were? extras, £l3 Is (>d; blinds, £2 17s; fence, £5 and a. pump £D 4s-ad. Mr Foster, as Clerk of M'orks, had "pnsssd" the new house. The returns for fishing lioan=es—nbn-.it £sP—were not yet in from Fairlitv Gcraldine. and 'Winchester. They wotild require some money to carry on until October, when the new licenses would be issued. They had the offer of £SOO tit 6 n»r cent., and of another £3OO at 5 per cent. It was decider! to arrange with the Bank for a small overdraft. ERN'EBA WAAKA. The secretary reported that Ernera ■\\"aaka, better known as .Kaitai, had died suddenly in Lvttelton the previous nip-lit. This news was received with groat regret as Kaitai had been of great use to the society on the Ooilii river, and it was generally agreed that hj« was one of the host Maoris who had ever lived in the Temuka distret. It was agr-ed that a letter of condolence should be sn n t to lis widow: that ,i, wreath should nho be sent, ami that th"' society should be represented at h-s funeral. This concluded the business and the meeting closed.