Rabbit Nuisance Concerns Farmers In Waitotara County

Wanganui Chronicle, 13 October 1948, Page 2

Rabbit Nuisance Concerns Farmers In Waitotara County

Complaint at the number of rabbits in the district was voiced at yesterday’s meeting of the Waitotara County Council when it was decidea taht Crs. A. A. Winwood and A. K. Billinghurst should form a deputation to wait on the Patea-Waitotara Rabbit Board. "My rates have gone up from £3 to £ll and we never see a rabbiter,” .said Cr. Billinghurst, who introduced the matter, a That he had fought the rabbit board lor eight years was mentioned by Cr. G. Palmer, who added that in 18 months 14,000 rabbits had been killed on his property and two others. Previous to this the rabbits were so bad that if a paddock was closed for three months all the feed would be eaten off. Cr. A. A. Winwood: The rabbiters never come out mv way. j The chairman (Mr. W. McKee) ! said that a letter could he written to the board or a deputation could be sent. A deputation would achieve bettef results, said Cr. Palmer. i “In mv opinion we are doing it the • wrong wav'’ said Cr. Winwood. He j said he had been told by a rabbit board secretary that the cost of killing a rabbit was about two shillings. Cr. Winwood said that if the Government I paid 2s for every rabbit that was .' killed it would not be long before I there was not. a rabbit left, in New • Zealand. ' “When you can go out and shoot 14 • rabbits in half an hour they are bad,” I said Cr. Billinghurst.