Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Quarter of A Century.] WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1898. OUR NEW RABBIT BOARDS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6112, 14 December 1898, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Quarter of A Century.] WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1898. OUR NEW RABBIT BOARDS.

It is stated that Messrs G. \h\"", W. L. Falconer, and Kibblewhite have petitioned tbo Minister for Agriculture, requesting Unit their properties be established as a llabbit Board under "Tbo Babbit-proof Wire-netting Fences Act of 1898." Under this measure, any part of the colony containing not less than one thousand acres mid not loss than three ratepayers can bo made a district, It is thereforo possible in tho Wairarapa for rabbit boards to spring up like mushrooms, and lobe counted by tho hundreds. Any three settlers with a modest area of land can constitute themselves an authority under the Regulation of Local Elections Act, the Local Bodies Aot, the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, and last, but not least, tho Rating Act of 1891.

Tbo settlers" threo" can becomo a Bonrd of Trustees and if perchance their number should swell to seven, the whole sevou can olect themselves ns ut Board, but thorn must not bo more than seven trustees in oue rabbit district, and, of course, there is littlo (lunger of this in such areas as only contain three occupiers. There will be, even for the smallest Hoard, tho usual paraphernalia of Returning Officers appointed by tbo Governor, n valuation list, a valuation roll of the, tliumb-imil variety and a poll. If one of the three ratepayers in a district were precluded by untoward circumstances from electing himself to a Board llio Governor would havo powor lo step in nod complete the transaction. When the Board is elected one of the threo must be chairman and statutory meetings arc lo be held.

The Board, . when established, enters upon its mission, which is to destroy rabbits, and in this direction it lias a froo hand; but its special puiposo seems lobe (o wire-net its urea willi rabbit-proof fences, iiud to pay tho costs of any prosecution instituted by a Rabbit Inspector against any ratepayer' within ils boundary. By entering into this triune partnership a settler is not relieved of Ihe onus nf being "shot"ut by a vigilant Inspector. Tho Inspector, tho dread lnspcclor.survives oven though ut hundred boards entrench themselves in wire-netting and defy the übiquitous rabbit lo invade their properties. Under this Act, rabbit-proof foncing is dcclaied " a public work," for which the Board may borrow money on application lo tho Minister of Agriculture. This Minister reports to the Colonial Treasurer, nml the latter refuses or grunts the loan in accordance with its merits, and all the red-tape regulations which safeguard public leudiugs and borrowings. The necessity of taking a poll on a loan in a district where the number of nitepaycis is less I ban fifty is waived unci Ihe declaration of a majority of voles is accepted as an equivalent, Loans aro secured by special rates, mid Hie special rate is struck by special order. Oh, for red-tape!

Tlio Hoard becomes the owner of nil rabbit-proof fences creeled by it, and it possesses certain powers with respect to contiguous owners which nro both defensive mid offensive, The contiguous owner may become the prey of the Board, but the Hoard cannot be assessed by the contiguous owner, Contiguous owners do not seem to be placed in a very happy position under (ho Act, and on the wholo it is perhaps better for a settler to become, together with a couple of friends, n whole Board of trustees, than to fall into the humble position of being a contiguous owner to be Bred at possibly on both sides,