HUNTERVILLE NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 November 1950, Page 7

HUNTERVILLE NEWS

Rabbit Board Members

Elected

HUNTERVILLE, Last Night (OC)_ The return to office of the Hunterville Rabbit Board unopposed can be accepted as a vote of confidence on the

part of the ratepayers in the policy jf the board during the past’season. The bounty system of payment I:as certainly brought results and was a means of using a lot of labour which otherwise would not have been available.

The members of the previous board I returned to office are Messrs. B. Dryden, L. J. Laird and E. H. Duncan. The new members are Messrs. F. J. Butement and J. B. McKnight. Mr. L. J. Lambert, did not seek re-election and Mr. A. McDonald passed away. According to a statement made to the ratepayers recently, the new board after it assumes office intends to foli low the policy of the past with the view to controlling 'the pest still further. There are one or two pocke's within the board’s area which have not yet been brought under control because of lack of labour, but it is expected that these will be attended to in course of time. Some farmers have stated, and not without reason, that rabbits are coming in from uncontrolled areas outside of the Hunterville Rabbit Board’s area. This is presenting a real problem and is a financial burden to the'ratepayers. The new board will have to give careful consideration to this problem and cooperation with neighbouring boards is essential. To endeavour to clear the pest from some areas, while at the same time rabbits are coming in from other areas would not be sound, policy, and It is not to be expected that the Hunterville Board will allow such a state of affairs to continue for very long.

The two new members are men of vision and will make a worthy contribution towards the board’s work, and if the new board continues to deal with rabbit infestation as in the past the patepayers may rest assured that their properties will be cleared eventually. It has been a big job so far. About 100,000 rabbits are a lot to kill and although there are still plenty about it is believed that the natural increase has been overcome and a fair number o£ the parent stock destroyed. TOWN BOARD Like the Hunterville Rabbit Board, the Hunterville Town Board was also returned unopposed and this, too, must be accepted as the endorsement of the board's policy over the past three years. The sitting members returned are Messrs. R. S. Gordon, C. K. Hill, L. G. Snellgrove, J. G. Meads and J. H. Hallwood. The two new members are Messrs. C. P. von Hartitzsch and M. Whitty. Mr. G. Taylor did not seek reelection and Mr. J. Klue, Senr., for health reasons, was compelled to resign his seat earlier in the year. The old board did not present a new policy to the ratepayers, but sought re-election on the results of the past. One thing that should always be borne in mind is that the Town Board would do more if there was more finance available. Owing to the rateable area being hm’ted the amount of monev that can be gathered by means of rates and other ways is also limited. Tar-sealing is a very expensive item and althcugh there are some streets that really need sealing it cannot be done ow.ng to lack of finance. The Town board has not lost sight o; necessary tar-sealing and it is quite likely that the new board will go carefully into the matter and outline some plan for future activity. The question of additional water supply has already been before the board ant although no decision was made it Is fully realised that the problem will have to be faced in the near future. If there is any increase in the population due to new houses being erected the problem may even prove an urgent one. THE CATCHMENT BOARD The nomination of Mr. K. Scott as a candidate for the Rangitikei Catchment Board as a suicide nomination has caused a stir among the ratepayers and if Mr. Scott is returned at the top of the poll it will be a definite vote of no-contidence in the Catch- : ment Board, which has come in for no I small amou it «'( critic's n of late. It has been said many times before that . no one can forecast the results of an election, so it only remains for the i electors to await the results.