MANY TOPICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 245, 14 September 1929, Page 8

MANY TOPICS.

OPOSSUMS, DEER AND GEESE. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 13. ' Mr F. Waite, the member for Clucha, holds that opossums do no harm to the fauna in the New Zealand bush. He said in the House of Representatives to-day that at Gatlins, in his district, there were as many bell birds and other birds in the forest as ever there had been. In fact, there was an increase in bird life and at the same time an increase in the opossums. These animals would never become a plague in New Zealand. Ho felt sure that, if the opossums were getting too numerous in any part oi the North Island, half a dozen men in a very short time wouid clean up Llie whole district. One hundred opossums bad been examined to see it they were a menace to bird life and there was no indication that they were a menace. The Minister of internal Affairs said he realised the importance of the opossum industry and lie would go into the whole question. In regard to deer, he recognised that they destroyed the forest and he expressed the opinion that the time had arrived when permission should be given to shoot deer in any part of New Zealand. (Hear! hear !) In regard to the fisheries, lie suggested that the time had como when they should be under the control of one department instead of two. _ Mr W. A. Bodkin (Central Otago) complained of the Canadian geese, which were shy, but did a great deal of damage. They were not a sporting bird seeing that it was almost impossible to get within shooting distance of them