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2026. Do you get them to poison at the same time ?—I try to do so, but I cannot get them to do it. 2027. Which do you consider the best time for poisoning?— The present time—the end of May or the beginning of June, when the feed begins to get scarce. 2028. Do you call them together so as to get them to act simultaneously ?—I do not call them together, but I sometimes visit the homesteads and talk to them, and point out to them it would be a good thing for them to poison together, and I mention that other runholders adjoining are going to begin at a certain time. 2029. Do you send notices to each one calling upon him to destroy rabbits, so that all could commence as nearly as possible simultaneously ? —The only notices I send are under the 9th section of the Act. 2030. How can you expect the owners of land to poison simultaneously if you send them no written notices ?—They know very well the movements of their neighbours. 2031. How do you know that ? —Only by visiting the properties. 2032. Then, if a man came into Court and said he did not know what his neighbour was doing, you could not say he did ?—No, I could not. 2033. But if you send notice to him you could?— Yes; but in the case of ten neighbours some would have an excuse for putting it off. 2034. The question is, whether the excuse is fair or not. Would it not be a proper course to send notices ? —lt would be*"a very good course, but it does not do for Inspectors to say to a settler, " You must poison your land." We can only say, " You may take whatever steps you like, but you must kill the rabbits." We are the persons to be satisfied as to the steps they take. 2035. Do you consider simultaneous killing is a necessary thing?— Certainly. 2036. Do you not think every effort should be made to gqt all owners to begin killing simultaneously? —It would be a very good thing. 2037. Would it not meet the case if you were to send round notices a sufficient time beforehand, calling upon them to begin killing at a certain date ?—Yes. 2038. But you do not send out written notices to that effect ?—No. 2039. What do you consider the best means of killing at this time of the year ?—No doubt, the cheapest and best is poisoning. 2040. Can you tell when poisoning is carried on efficiently? —Yes; we tell by visiting the properties. After a heavy poisoning the rabbits that are not killed are very shy, and if you go a few weeks afterwards again you will not see a great number of them. 2041. That is when they take poison that has lost its strength?—l believe some of them take poison and recover. 2042. A man might plead that he had poisoned his run to no good effect. Would you think that that man had carried out the poisoning efficiently, or would it be that the rabbits would not take the poison?— Very possibly the poison, if badly mixed, would not kill them. 2043. Is there any difficulty in mixing the poison?— None whatever. A person only requires to exercise care. There is no great art in it. If we find a man who does not know how to do it, we often show him the process, and also how to lay it. 2044. Have natural enemies been used in your district?— They have been, but not to a very great extent. Ferrets chiefly have been turned out, and a few stoats last winter. 2045. How do the ferrets answer?— Very well; but the rabbits have too great a command over the country. 2046. Do they thrive ? —There is a good deal of mortality among them. I think sometimes they eat the poisoned rabbits. * 2047. They are subject to distemper?— Yes. 2048. Are cats very effective?— Very, but not those from towns. Hawks destroy more rabbits than most people imagine. Last year I counted over a hundred hawks in one gully alone. 2049. Do you find any difficulty in punishing where breaches of the Act have been committed ? —No ; the Magistrates are obliged to convict. In some cases I have applied for higher penalties, but the Magistrate was averse to inflicting more than £1. 2050. Do you think that sufficient ?—ln one case the defendant would rather pay several fines than take the necessary steps. 2051. Have you any suggestion to make in reference to this subject? —Only that the Magistrate should take a little more evidence and inflict a heavier fine. But at present every one is on the same footing. 2052. The case you are referring to was at Whareama, was it not?— Yes. 2053. Whose was it ?—Mr. Andrew's. 2054. What was the complaint?— Simply not killing rabbits. 2055. When did you first find rabbits on the Whareama Bun?— Babbits were on the run before I took charge of the subdivision. It was in Mr. Sutton's time. It is only within the last two years that I have had anything to do with it. 2056. In March last did you get a notice from the department to be particular about compelling the owners in the Lower Taueru and Whareama Districts to kill rabbits ?—lt was an ordinary circular, and no particular part was mentioned. It simply gave me instructions as an Inspector to see that the Act was carried out. 2057. Was the whole of the district alive with rabbits up to last March? —The rabbits were numerous on the Lower Taueru and parts of the Upper Taueru. 2058. When did you receive that notice ?—I think it was in March. 2059. Was it not a fact that'the rabbits were then very numerous in the Lower Taueru? —Yes; but that part of the district was under Mr. Orbell's charge. 2060. Was it in consequence of that circular that you issued a number of notices ?—No. I had given them notice, and had intended to do so before that circular. I could not say the date of the circular : I believe it was about March.