The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-25
TO RID AUS TRAL|A r
OF RABBIT PLAGUE
Animals min Depr pre- q Now En-:
:. tail . Loss ::o IT. $50, 100000 ., r. =:
. .; 90 :>,os:2s a. Year. j., :>: =. = ::~
Special Gable, to The Journal.

Special Gable to The sJournal.- -,
Paris, Aug: 25:- Bunny. has raised
himself to the dignity of a national
question in Australia. In the express
sive phraseology Of arwestern. squatter:
Hlt s. "a fight to, the finish between
sheep and rabbits, and one must go
The rabbit has hitherto Knocked the
efforts of experts to suppress him.
Some idea Of the magnitude Of the
problem may be gathered from the fact
that the doe has her first litter, which
averages half dozen, ata'the age Of
t fSsf IN oash ss esfs s2e4as sRSe
rabbits is numbered lot merely BY
hundreds Of KhousaSd sS5bdt BY millions:
rything has Been lltfied TO Keep them
down, ! t.. - Poison, funliga tiop,, trapping,
wire: netting and scalp rewards have
alike been powerless to check their
multiplication, and the continent is
overrun with, thenlu.:s Within the past
twenty years millions of money have
thus been squandered without return.
In some districts these rodents con-
sumo 40, per cent sof the green food
which would otherwise serve, for rear
by. the graziers is reckoned at $65, 000,-
900 a year. a.. e. -.
The Fight 1sSExpens1ve.
Some. years ago a prize of. 5000
was offered to anyone, scientist or
otherwise who would devise a means
Of extirpating athe destructive rodent.
The late M. Pasteur was among the
numerous competitors for the prize, but
even his profound science proved I'M
awaiting. About a year ago negotia-
tions were entered into with DR..
.Danysz Of the Pasteur institute at
Paris, and that eminent bactefiologist
has just arrived in New South Wales
with an assistant and all the necessary
apparatus for conducting his expert;
Of two years. De. Danysz is to be
well remunerated for his services. His
fee paid in advance is $4,000, and he
will receive in addition $1,000 for every
month of his stay in Australia. His
assistant receives, a monthly salary Of
$40 for the same period.
The pretty island of; Broughton,
which is situated. about thirty: one miles
north Of Newcastle and 'ten+s' miles be:
yond Port Stephens, has been set aside
for the experiment. - Its"area is about
1000 acres, and the inoculated rabbits
will have to be imported, as there are
4OAo DIV pIeS0HC On Inc 1SAdHu. IL ID
an essential condition, Of course, chat
the germ cultures shall be fatal to rab-
bits only. ~ The disease must be in
nocuous to human beings, sheep, cattle,
horses and other live stock. It could
hardly be expected that such drastic
measures would. leave the rabbit skin
and frozen meat industries Indifferent,
and there are already signs of q strong
agitation against 1.-The experiments.
Pressure is being put upon the
federal government !, to prohibit the
landing of the germ, cultures, scientific
opinion. is loudly proclaimed to be hos
tile to DR.: Danysz and the industries
affected declare. that they will take
legal action against those. who thus
threaten their existence. Whatever
be the legal means Of redress at the
command Of the agitators, whether they
be entitled to claim indemnity or not,
all that is q, question for ultimate con-
5sideration, for it is not yet proved that
Or. Danysz will be able. to fulfil the
conditions imposed upon him.
At all events, it must be borne in
mind that the relative interests at stake
are vastly ia favor Of the sheep farmers
and squatters, The product: Of the
rabbit industry is Insignificant when
compared with the loss annually suf-
fered thru the rabbit plague, and it
must be 7recollected that this loss is
constantly attaining more alarming
proportions.