Kilobits, Stoats, Ferreis, and Weasels.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1878, 1 September 1886, Page 2

Kilobits, Stoats, Ferreis, and Weasels.

The Babbit Pert is an infliction grievous to be boi..«. The general result of enquiries into it by Parliamentary Committees and Royal Commissioners has been that poison mg and the introduction of the natural enemies of the rabbit are the most efficacious means of patting down the pett. But there are always two aide- to a question, and our esteemed friend, Mr 11. H, Jackson, of Stout, stead, declares in his usual emphatic and forcible manner, that stoats, ferrets, and weasels constitute a pest to the small farmers quite as bad as the rabbits do to the big landowners. lu a letter to the Wellington Times Mr Jackson remarks “ I have read the motion moved by the Hon Mr Beeves in the Legislative Council -That it was highly inexpedient for the Qovernment to allow or assist persons to introduce, tbe vermin ksown as stoats and weasels. They will prove to be a curse to the settlers and oountry, as the ferrets have already done in the Wairarapa, which were supposed to have been let loose by Mr Waterhouse on bis run before he sold it to Mr J. Martin. They have spread over nearly the whole of tbe Wainrapa, and have been in nearly every eettler’s poultry yard, and destroyed the whole lot in one night. Is it right or just that tbe s mall farmers’ property should be destroyed to foster ;a monopolising interest which is not permanent, lire loss is not altogether the poultry, but also tbe destruction of the native birdi, which are, with the exception of the paroquet, insectivorous, and mostly breed on tbe pound, and must eventually become tbe victims of the stoats and weasels. How will Mr Ballance reconcile the people to settling on their land after tbe stoats and weasels have been introduced, which wilt destrey tbe poultry, which is the first source of the settlers’ livelihood—poultry and eggs T Mr G. B. Johnson will say build fowl houses. But I say fence in your vermin. By what right or law ara they allowed to tree pass on my laud and destroy my property ? Tbe ‘‘ natural enemy” curse will fall first on the big landowners when wool falls to 6d por lb and taxes are doubled to meet tbe interest on the borrowed millions. Then they will cat up their rnus and sell oat and go away. But who wjll bay land infested with the worst of vermin ?