West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Wednesday 19 September 1900, page 7


THE RABBIT INVASION. To the Editor. Sir,--I have read with much interest the correspondence in your columns, also the report of Mr. Inspector White, on this question. I am sorry that Mr. White does not approve of wire netting as a check to the rabbits. In sunport, I will give you two instances that came under my own personal notice showing the efficacy of wire netting. In May of 1895 I rode from Tinga Tingana Station, South Australia. to Tarrawingie, New South Wales, a distance of 300 miles, and the only place between where there was any feed at all was Quinyambi Station, New South Wales. This station was protected on the west by the border rabbit-proof fence, and on the north by six miles of netting running at right-angles to the border fence. North and west of Quinyambi was as ''bare as your hat," with dead rabbits lying all over the place, while on Quinyambi there was any amount of good dry grass. The rabbits had hugged the border fence, and the six miles of station fencing had been enough to stop them. In the summer of 1895-96 I drove from Cooper's Creek to Haddon Downs, 100 miles up the South Australian-Queensland rabbit-proof fence. On the South Australian side the country was a desert: on the Queensland side there was plenty of green grass. Why? Because in South Australia the rabbits had eaten out the rooted grasses, so that nothing but a continuous deluge would restore them, while in Queensland, the roots being all alive, the grass shot up with every moderate rain. Further than this, the Queensland country was giving the State a rental of 10s. to 15s. per square mile, while the South Australian country could not be disposed of at a peppercorn rent; in fact, no one would look at it. If you want to poison, or if you want to introduce Pasteur's disease, you must concentrate your rabbits, and, so far as I can see, netting is the only thing to do that. I am surprised at the apathy of the Parliament and the people of this colony in the face of this' great danger. Our firm is n6w putting up eight miles of netting, and we shall not rest till every acre of our holding is secure from rabbits.-Yours, etc., J. C. WARREN. Dyliabing, September 13.