Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-09-21
RABBIT TRAPPERS' UNION
Many Families Who Have Engaged IN
the Shipping Business Have Mace
as Much as 500 to 500 Per
Week from Venture.
From the Chicago Chronicle.

"a q hD~~|
coming a valuable commercial asset. one
exporter estimates that already it brings
$40, 900, 600 a year to the commonwealth,
but G. c.. Lance, who was not long ago
the commercial agent In London for New
South Wales, prefers to put the figures
at 81, 800 900.
The industry, it is TO be remembered,
is still in swaddling clothes, but judging
from the development of the last few
years, the 81, 100000 of today should quickly
grow into many millions. There are inn
mense possibilities ahead. But, of course.
there Is DIR. Danysz to be reckoned with.
1t is exceedingly doubtful, however,
whether he will be permitted to proceed
to any length with his experiments. Apart
from the existing fear that he will set
loose a disease which may be dangerous
to human beings and go other forms OF
animal life there Is a strong feeling that,
with the great and increasing demand
for the carcasses and skins of rabbits, the
rodent will. in the ordinary course or
events, cease TO be a pest. And, more
over, it is coming to be recognized that
not only will the industry bring millions
Of dollars to Australia annually but that
IL will afford profitable employment to
a vast army Of men. For this reason the
tabor parties, federal and state, are bit
te3y opposed to DR.. Danysz and his
scheme.
Rabbit Trappers Form Union.
Already the pastoralists are complain
ing of a scarcity Of rural labor. They are
no longer able to obtain the services or
a~ble-bodied men for $3.50 a week and their
keep" For rabbit trapping has Of a
sudden become a ~remunerative profession
and it is characteristic of conditions here
that within the last few days a rabbit
trappers' union has been formed. Inc
freezing and Export firms in Sydney and
Melbourne are sending hundreds OF men
away into the country every week to dis
tricts where the local supply Of trappers
Is insufficient, and thus there is a steady
absorption of the metropolitan unemploy-
ed. Likely applicants are provided with
traps on time payment and the newcomers
are placed at first beside experienced men,
who teach them the routine. At Narrabrl,
Gunnedah, Tumut, Dubb and some other
places good trappers are earning, accord
ing to one authority, $25 a week. Another
authority puts 1t at $4.25 or $3.50 a day.
Men with young families to assist them
30 even better. In this connection the re-
port Of a country inspector OF state schools
to the public instruction department of
New South Wales is significant. AT the
present iuncture," he says. lit is a diff
fcult task TO get children to do any home
lessons. The high price of rabbit skins
induces parents TO employ their children
tOT NAH the night III tapping iabDAlo'
Many families in this district are earning
as much as $50 to 500 per week at the
business. In many of the towns there is
q wood famine it being impossible to
and carriers willing to waste time draw
Ing wood when they can earn so much at
trapping rabbits. From this cause also
the attendance at country schools during
the quarter now ending will be greatly re-
duced."
Unemployed Problem Solved.
A. piece Of further evidence is supplied
by Mr.. Schley, the director Of labor in
New South Wales. In his last report to
he minister he quotes such paragraphs as
the following from the reports of his vari-
Gus country correspondents:
THE off-season. but no such thing as I'M
employed. Usual resorts Of loafers desert
ed. All gone rabbiting, the money earned
at which Is likely to increase the rates OF
wages demanded by roustabouts, etc.
Spending capacity of the working classes
greater than for years past"
Very good. No unemployed. All IN
skilled labor absorbed in rabbit-trapping."
THE rabbit industry has absorbed all the
genuine unemployed"
Great demand for farm hands. Most To-
cal laborers are now rabbiting and all
state that their earnings are good"
ANY men previously unemployed are
now rabbit-trapping and earning good
money"
mo local unemployed and very few trav-
e.ers ~(swagmen)."
Labor very scarce. Demand much in
excess Of supply owing to the large num-
Der of men and boys employed rabbit
ing"
What a contrast to the story Of one short
year ago. Then from every quarter and
from the sam correspondents came ac-
counts of unemployed and distress. The
Australian has at last been persuaded that
even the rabbit has it's uses.
Carcasses Are Valuable.
So mitch for the workers point of View.
The individuals and companies who are
finding the capital have equal reason to be
satisfied. The state government of New
South Wales and Victoria have provided
cold storage ccommodation in Sydney and
Melbourne respectively, but OF late this
has been found rid%iculously inadequate
and private enterprise is experimenting it.
Among the firms that supply cold storage
in Sydney are the Fresh Food and Ice
company, turning out 1900 crates a day;
the Metropolitan Ice company and the In
land Freezing cor~npany-which has branch
works In several country understanding
out 100 crates a day. In addition the gov
cold storage department turns
out 800 crates a day and there are a large
number Of smaller storers and freezers
IN udiiy outputs ylnB from lUU crates
to 800.
There are twenty-four rabbits in a crate
and recent prices paid in London range
from Sl.S5n per crate, according to the
classes IN which the carcasses are graded
by government graders. Considerable con-
-signments are sent regularly from Br.s-
bane and Adelaide and these, like those
from Sydney and Melbourne, go to the
United Kingdom, South Africa, Hong
Kong. Japan and the Philippines. 1t is
noted that the exported carcasses are In
spected and graded under official super
vision.
Great Profits in Skins.
But the profit accruing from fozen car
casses Is only a part Of the whole profit.
Where IS good money In canned rabbit and
this Is a branch Of the trade the prospects
of which should be improved by the Chi
cago disclosures. The greatest return of
all. however. Is derived from the skins.
Last year the value Of the exported skins
slightly exceeded that Of the frozen car
cases and this win again be the case dur