BABBIT NUISANCE QUESTION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 27, Issue 950, 27 June 1883, Page 2

BABBIT NUISANCE QUESTION.

PUBLIC MEETING AT BEAUMONT. In terms of advertisement, a meeting of the landowners residing in the neighborhood of the Beaumont and Raes Junction was held in the" Clifton Hotel on the evening' of Saturday last, to take into consideration what steps should be taken to impress upon tho Government the urgent necessity of dealing with the rabbits on the Crown lands in this (■UstriefcFMr ;Donald MlXeiizie,, baring read the advertisement calling the meetins, moved, and Mr -Coskery seconded, that ' Mr" James Bennet take the chairi' ' ;' „ ' > Mr Sennet on, ruing said. :-nGeptlemen : The object for which this meeting 1 is called is one in which we all tak* a lively interest— vuu the destruction of rabbits oq,lhe,un,oceu> - pied ' Grown lands'. As you are all aware i there is very little difficulty experienced in* dividually in clearing our owgqgrounds and keeping the rabbits.under, so as to reduce th* damage' done by them to a minimum, .but it is impossible for us to do so while the Crown lands, in our midit are infested'} and I am/ afraid that unless effective measures are^ instantly adopted by the Government towards these land*, . we will be in a worse position this season than we have boon hitherto. lam determined to use extreme measures if the object cannot be attained in another way ; it is of little u«e locking the stable door a ter the horse has, been stolen. In a fowmore weeks the poisoning season will be past,, and dogs and traps will be of little avail to save our crops from the ravages of bunny during the summer months. Dogs are no doubt useful, but they are an apology for destroying rabbits when compared with poisoned grain. There can be no doubt that the Inspectors have more to do than they can manage, and I think all will agree with me when I say that nothing short of a thorough inspection of every holding in the district will have any real beneficial result : if a •mill holding is overlooked, it. is * quite sufficient during th* breeding" season^ to pollute ground for miles around. I consider that the Inspector should have the power of 'appointing local assistant! to aid himiin personal inspection daring' the winter months. ' I should like to hear what others may have to say upon this subject j it certainly is a matter, of grave importance t* us all. • i i

Mr Donald M'Kenzie : 1 aav informed, Mr Chairman, that; men are engaged on tho Crown lands with dogs. Surely, ,-ifc must bo well known that dogs at this- season do more harm than good ; it is no doubt an easy and inexpensive mode of obtaining a few Bkihs, but they are scattering the rabbits over our holdings, and' it cannot be called- taking effective measures to destroy' within the meaning of the Act. The Government, I consider, should set us an example iv dealing destruction on the most approved system amongst the rabbits on the unjeased portion ! of tbeir lands, instead, of keeping, them as ' breeding warrens to stock the country. I take it to be the duty of every colonist to assist the Inspector in every possible way in the discharge of his duty,' and for my part I would inform on my nearest relative (if a neighbour of mine), provided he was not taking sufficient measure* to destroy the . rabbits; but if holdings are to be polluted from infested crown lands, then it becomes our duty to stick together' and defy any ' official to have! us fined when the fault is > entirely on the ; part of the Government. This is not as it should be ; I. would much rather see. the Government act its part properly and put us all on our metal. Mr Bennet : Perhaps Mr M'Kenzie, you will be good enough to move a resolution which could be forwarded to the Inspector, bearing upon the subject. Mr M'Kenzie; Very well ! 1 will move ; That the Chairman communicate at once with Mr Hickson, the Inspector for the district, regarding the poisoning of toe Crown lands in this neighbourhood, urging immediate action on the part of the Govern* ment, as the rabbits from the Crown land* are at the present time re-stocking clean land."

Mr John Main had pleasure in seconding the motion ; be could assure those present that unless tho Crown lands were speedily dealt with, it .would be useless for farmers bere to prepare tbeir ground to receive the seed, expecting to reup a crop. It was of no use disguising the fact that they were simplj cultivating their land to feerl Crown rabbits, and if. appeared to him that they were as hard to satisfy, and equally destructive with any other description of rabbit that had come under his observation.

.Mr Coskrey said he laid poisoned grain over the 'whole of his farm several weeks ago : a few dajs back he bad occasion to go over paddocks adjoining the Crown lands and the rabbits seemed to him to be more numerous than ever ; he was not surprised at this, and, unless the Crown linds were cleared, it was labour in vain trying to keep the paddocks clear of the pest ; he considered the Govern* ment bound to do tbeir own ground.

Several others gave a similar experience and all expressed a determination (in the erent of the Government fsi'ing to do their duty) to stand by one another in the event of action being taken by the Inspector against any individual in the vicinity of the Crown lands in question. Mr Cummings moved a resolution to the following effect :— That the chairman of the meeting write to the Waste Land Board urging the expediency of at once leasing all unoccupied Crown lands adjacent to the Beaq» mont and Raea Junction, as tho cost of keep\ ing the rabbit pest properly in check would' prove very expensive to the Government and would be more likely to be better -performed bj the interested leaseholder. Seconded by Mr M'&enzie and carried. Mr Main considered that an additional local Inspector would be a boon to the district, and he would move that the Chairman mention . this matter when writing to the Inspector re the poisining of Grown lands. Seconded by Mr Cummings and carried. Mr M'Kenjie hoped tbeir aotion would be successful in persuading Government to deal with the Crown lands. The Chairman said that he would lose no ■ time in forwarding the resolutions to the respective departments, and so soon as he had replies thereto he would convene another meeting.

since the work began. All hie neighbours were doing their duty in the matter : some others were not putting down sufficient quantities, but he would promise to speak to those who showed negligence. His experience inclined him to think that more execution could be done by putting down a few grains at a time than by laying it thickly. Since the 14th June, the data appointed for making a commencement, he had obtained 4000 more skfis, 1400 having just come in by two men fortbe week. Ht paid the men 2id per skin. Me Yarcoe reported that he had engaged a neighbour for the work, and that over all his i^Ml^^phi^phbristd grain had been administered with very good results.

A conversational discussion ensued as to the best mode of preparing the pioklt, Mr Hopkins istating that it was customary to vAt half-a-pint of water with eaoh lib of oats.— The Chairman explained his method of) preparing the grain, saving that the mixture should be something like — lib phosphorus; 601bs oats; 31bs sugar or salt, with 6gals. of Water to every 1301bs of dry oats. "HPP. 3 Brook reported that Mr Varooe's land bad been well cleartd, remarking that the pest had gained such a footing in the past through neglect to. recognise the danger, that farmers must aot.in the interests of selfpreservation, and that any man who neglects to poison stands in his own light. He asked how much a man could distribute efficiently in a day of eight hours P ■ ' ' I The members of Committee were of opinion that not more, than 201bs could be laid, if done judiciously, In'jgrass paddocks,: but in_ bare places where stock wort not* likely to feed, a perlon might put ,501bs ; in/a_ day j greater care- being 'requisite hi Maying the poison where stock sre pastured. Speaking of the great number of rabbits. at Tuapeka West, Mr Yarcoe stated that he had just teen the results of the exttfution done by Mr Williams in destroying J£hem< He also alluded to the,- uselessness of the poisoned grain when the phosphorus is improperly miked in it.

Mr P. Brook reported that Mr Henry had supplied him with poison, which he had judieiouily laid on his own ground with satisfactory effect*. '-. 'Ihe following names of settlers were given in as those of persons who, were acting up to requirements' in th_e matter : —Messrs M'Diarraid, Henry 1 , Margetts, Buchanan, G. Brook, DrysdalefHogg, Varcoe.P; Brook, O'Brien : others." were 'mentioned 'as doubtful. Mr Henry mentioned that he had some most efficient handset' the' work— nine or ten in all ; men who had, qpgcial training for it ; and said that in places where, twenty. rabbits would generally be seen running, now there were only' one or two at most. Whtre rab bitskins are. not obtainable in sufficient numbers to pay a,man at per skin, he intends to put on the regular station-workmen. On the motion of Mr P. Brook, seconded by Mr Yarcpe, a vote of thanks to the chair man was Worded, and the meeting terminated. , s'