Please wait. Contacting image service... loading
Hide article pages Show article pages
  1. Page 10
    Page 10 thumbnail
  2. Page 11
    Page 11 thumbnail

Article text

THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir—There was no one who hailed with'

greater delight the introduction of stringent

measures to deal with the rabbit nuisance than .
myself, but I had no idea that the working;

system of the Act would be such a total failure

as facts have proved, persons beiDg at the mercy -
of Inspectors,[and meu employed practising the -
'■Government stroke." I noticed that a depu
tation of northern people waited on the Hon.
the Commissioner of Crown Lands (T. Play ford),
and all the satisfaction they received was the
advice " to pay upbut if things would be
found incorrect, the whole, or portion of
amounts charged, would be remitted again.

Now, Mr. Editor, I can assure you, I belong to -
those persons who are very much dissatisfied with
the action the Hon. the Commissioner, assisted by
the Surveyor-General, has taken in my case,.
which differs much from the cases stated by'1
the individual members of the deputation. I'
did not only protest when the men were put on -
my land but applied to the Hon. Commissioner.
personally after the men had been on my land

some time for redress. To my written protest I'
received no reply, and at the interview with the -
Hon. the Commissioner I was told that Inspector -
Dean should visit my selection and see how far

my statements were correct. Inspector Dean -
arrived, and rode with me right through my.'
land; all the rabbits we noticed comprised the

grand total of three. Mr. Dean told me that he -
would certainly report the men to be removed '
at once, and I was perfectly satisfied; but as it -
happened the gang remained on my land five -
weeks after, of coarse not killing rabbits •
but time, at my expense. ;Is this fair
play? I do not object to pay any fair and
just debt, but being victimized in the

manner I have shown above is simply shameful.'.
I met the men very often, and at all hours of the -
day, camping under some tree, and on my
enquiring what they were doing I wan told that
it was lunch-time—quite natural, the men were
passing away their time in eating aud sleeping.
for want of better employment. At the
time I received a notioe to destroy the rabbits
on my land I set to work at once, purchased
some bisulphide of carbon, &c., and succeeded
in destroying fully two-thirds of the pest. Just
then it was impossible for me to destroy all the
animals, inasmuch as my land is crossed by
several brush fences, which I could not burn
because of the Bush Fires Act; but if reason
able time would have been given I

could have killed all the rabbits without
the assistance of the Government party,
who now for their important services claim
the Bmount of £104 19s. 8d. There must be
something materially wrong in the department,
otherwise the report of Mr. Dean would have
been taken notice of. I depended thoroughly
on the prowess of the Honourable Commissioner
to see '* fair play," and can assure you I was
never more surprised at the result of such ''seeing
fair play." My interview with'the Hon. the
Commissioner after receipt of the bill had na
satisfactory result. I certainly was nat asked
"why I did not complain before," but
told the best thing I_ could do would be
to pay. Mr. Editor, is there no
redress for such imposition but going to
law ? Can the matter not be brought before the
House of Assembly, a Commission appointed to
enquire into the way in which the clauses of

the Act have been carried out ? I am certain that
if such would be done people could confidently
bring their cases before such Commission ana
have a chance of " fair play." I am sure there
are many others who have been similarly
treated as myself, but being of opinion that the
Hon.' the Commissioner in his judgment is in

fallible have not the moral courage to protest.
and have the matter investigated. I am fully
determined to see why I should be imposed on
by a gang of men who, for their own amuse
ment, bltze a lot of powder away, and -after

wards bring their account or charge, independent -
of wages, bisulphide, rations, powder, shot, caps,
for inspection, employment of horses, wear and

tear to camp equipment, or any more such
nonsense. I am not one to grumble at any trifle,
but if any one's toes are trodden upon too hard,
reason of why should be known. I am quite
willing to pay a reasonable and fair amount, but
to keep a parcel of men five weeks for doing
nothing is more than I can stand, and if there
is a remedv to nrevent snch I am determined
to try the same.—
I am, Sir. he,
JAMBS DAT.
Edinburgh, Yorke'a Peninsula.
$