"Vermin" means and includes any animal or bird men

tioned in the Third Schedule to this Act, and such other animals or birds the names of which the Governor may by proclamation add to the said schedule:

Provided that the Governor may in like manner remove the name of any animal or bird from the said schedule, and any such proclamation shall have effect as fully as if the addition or removal therein referred to had been expressed in the Third Schedule to this Act.

"Vermin fence" means—

(a) a substantial fence such as is described in Part I. of the Second Schedule to this Act; or

(b) any other substantial vermin fence approved of in writing by the Minister, or the chief inspector.

5. For the purposes of this Act

6.

(a) a fence shall be taken to be on the boundary of any land, or on the common boundary of any lands, if it follows the line which is such actual, reputed, or accepted boundary, or where the boundary is inaccessible or incapable of being fenced, if the fence follows such boundary as nearly as practicable, having regard to the physical features of the country, or if in any case such fence follows any line which is reasonably approximate to such boundary; and

(b) the intervention of a road or watercourse shall not prevent lands being taken to be adjoining, or prevent a fence along either side of any such road or watercourse being taken to be on the common boundary of the lands on either side of such road or watercourse.

The council of any municipality, the board of any road district, and the trustees of any public reserve shall be deemed to be the owners of all lands vested in them or placed under their control.

7. The powers conferred by this Act on the Minister may be exercised throughout the State, but the powers conferred on a board can only be exercised within its district.

PART II.-CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION.

1909, No. 10,

8. This Act shall be administered by the Minister for The Minister, Agriculture, or such other responsible Minister of the Crown 8. 3. as the Governor may from time to time appoint.

Ibid., 8. 4.

9. The Governor may from time to time appoint a chief omcers. inspector, inspectors, and other officers for carrying this Act into effect.

funds.

10. All moneys appropriated by Parliament for the pur- Application of poses of this Act may be applied to the following purposes, Ibid., s. 5. that is to say

(a) for defraying the necessary expenses of the central

administration of this Act;

(b) for paying to the board of any district the whole or
any part of the amount of the cost and expenses
incurred by such board in repairing or maintain-
ing any Government fence, or portion thereof,
within its district;

(c) for making advances by way of loan to any board
under the provisions of this Act;

(d) and generally in such manner as the Minister may
from time to time direct for defraying or contri-
buting towards the cost of any measures taken on
Crown lands, public reserves, vacant areas adja-
cent to private holdings, and generally on all lands,
whether held privately or otherwise, for the pre-
vention of the incursion or migration or for the de-
struction of vermin in any part of the State.

hold office with

11. Any inspector or other officer may hold his office Inspectors may in conjunction with any other office or employment which the other offices. Minister deems not incompatible with his duties under this ss. 7, 8. Act.

1902, No. 34,

appointment.

12. Every inspector and officer shall be furnished with a Certificate of certificate of his appointment, and shall, if required so to do, produce such certificate to the owner or occupier of any holding he may enter.

Minister may delegate

powers.

13. The Minister may, in his discretion, delegate to the chief inspector any of the powers conferred by this Act on the Minister.

PART III.-VERMIN DISTRICTS.

14. (1.) The Governor may, by Order in Council

(a) constitute any defined portion of the State a Vermin ̧
District for the purposes of this Act, and specify
the boundaries of any such district;

(b) unite two or more districts into one district;
(c) divide a district into two or more districts;
(d) alter the boundaries of a district or ward;

(e) abolish a district, and dissolve the board thereof;
(f) assign a name to and alter the name of any district;
(g) divide and re-divide a district into wards and define
the boundaries of and assign names to wards;

(h) abolish all or any of the wards of a district:

Provided that a district shall be or continue divided into wards only whilst it has an elected board or for the purpose of the election of a board.

(2.) When a district is divided into two or more districts, or a portion is severed from one district and included in another district, and in every other case in which it may, in consequence of the alteration of the boundaries of the districts or otherwise, be necessary so to do, the Governor may in like manner declare and apportion the assets and liabilities of the respective boards between them.

(3.) In any of the cases aforesaid, if the boards affected are indebted to the Crown in respect of money advanced by way of loan, the Governor may in like manner declare and apportion the liabilities of the respective boards in respect of such loan.

(4.) Every such Order in Council shall have the same effect as if it were part of this Act, so that the rights and liabilities of the respective boards and their respective powers, rights, and authorities in respect of their assets shall be as declared by the Order in Council.

PART IV.-BOARDS OF VERMIN DISTRICTS.

See 1909, No.

10, 8. 7.

15. (1.) For every district there shall be a board, which Boards. shall consist of so many members as may, from time to time, be prescribed by the Governor, and such members shall be elected or appointed as hereinafter provided:

Provided that the Governor may appoint the Minister to act as the board of any district for such time as may be thought expedient.

(2.) When a district has been divided into wards the Governor shall, from time to time, determine the number of members for each ward.

16. Every board shall be a body corporate under such name as the Governor shall from time to time determine, and shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, and by such name shall be capable of suing and being sued and of doing and suffering, subject to this Act, all such other acts and things as bodies corporate may by law do and suffer.

Board to be a

corporate body.

Ibid., 8.8.

17. (1.) The first members of a board shall be appointed Appointed by the Governor.

(2.) The members of a board appointed by the Governor shall go out of office on the second Wednesday in April in the year following the year of their appointment, when an election shall be held to fill the vacancies.

Boards.

Ibid., s. 9.

and periodical

retirements.

See ibid., s. 10.

18. (1.) On the second Wednesday in April in every year Elected boards a certain number of the members of every elected board shall go out of office by rotation. Such number shall be determined as hereinafter provided, and an election shall be held on that day to fill every seat which shall then become vacant.

(2.) If the number of members is a multiple of three, onethird of the members shall go out of office.

(3.) If the number of members is not a multiple of three, the number to go out of office shall, subject as hereinafter provided, be determined by the board, so that no member shall continue in office for more than three years, and that, as nearly as may be, one-third of the number of members shall retire in each year.

Provided that the retirements shall be apportioned amongst the respective representatives of the wards (if any) in proportion to their respective numbers or in accordance with the determination of the board in as nearly as may be such proportion.

Qualification of members.

(4.) The members to go out of office shall (except as hereinafter provided) be the members who have been longest in office without re-election.

(5.) As between two or more members who have been in office an equal time without re-election, the member who at his election received the least number of votes shall go out of office. If they received the same number of votes, or there was no ballot, it shall be determined by the board by lot or otherwise which of them shall go out of office.

(6.) If the board does not by the twenty-third of March in any year make any determination, which it is hereby empowered to make, then the Minister may make such determination.

19. Every owner, part owner, or manager of a holding See ibid., s. 11. within the district, if such holding is rateable under this Act, shall be qualified to be appointed or elected a member of the board for the district or any ward thereof: Provided that ownership or part ownership of a holding shall not be a qualification when the manager is qualified in respect of such holding under this section.

Qualification of electors.

20. (1.) Every person being, on the thirteenth day of See ibid., s. 12. January in any year, the owner of any holding within a district shall, during that year, if such holding is rateable under this Act, be qualified to vote, and may, if his name is entered on the electoral list, vote at an election of members of the board of such district.

Number of votes.

Ibid., s. 13, amen ded.

(2.) When a corporate body is the owner of a holding, it may appoint any person to exercise its rights as an elector under this Act.

(3.) When a district is divided into wards, every person entitled to vote-

(a) shall be so entitled for the ward only in which his qualifying holding is situated; and

(b) shall be so entitled for every ward wherein he has

any qualifying holding:

Provided that where a person is the owner of a holding not situated wholly in one ward, the holding shall be deemed to be situated in such one of the wards in which it is partly situated as such person shall choose or as the chairman shall, in the absence of such choice, determine.

21. Every person qualified to vote at an election for any district or ward or members of a board shall have a number