RABBITS IN HAWKE'S BAY DISTRICT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2574, 7 August 1909, Page 5

RABBITS IN HAWKE'S BAY DISTRICT.

MR. BENNETT’S STATEMENT CONTRADICTED. |Rich Pkksr Association.] HASTINGS., August 6. At a meeting of the committee of the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society at Hastings to-day, Mr. L. H. McHardy, chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Rabbit Board, referred to the statement made by Mr. A. C. Bennett at the Board’s last meeting as to the increase of rabbits in an unspecified area north of Napier. Mr. McHardy said that Mr. Bennett had declined to name the places where he asserted he had noticed the increase in rabbits, and the only place the other members could imagine was meant was the Blowhard range, which was very difficult country. Every effort was being made to cope with the pest there. The winter had been very favorable to the rabbits, but, as soon as spring had .fairly set in, the Board was determined to clean them off. Persons reading Mr. Bennett’s statement might conclude there had been a terrible influx of rabbits, but such was not the case. Although the weather had favored the increase of rabbits, and although the financial stringency had made it difficult to get owners to do the work, yet the past year had been a very successful one, more especially in the inland Patea district. As to the Board’s inspectors, they were very good men, and did their work well, and the Board was very much indebted to them. A vote of thanks to Mr. McHardy, and of confidence in him as the chairman of the Rabbit Board was cariied unanimously. It was decided to make representations to the Department of Agriculture urging it to clear the land south of the Weber fence of rabbits.