48 MACQUAUIK ISLAN'O AND ITS FUTUIIE, 



this date the business was pressed with still greater energy 

 under a lease renewable annually at the discretion of the 

 Tasmanian Government for the sum of £40 a year. Dur- 

 ing this period much of the crude oil was returned to Hobart 

 and refined there. 



This lease continued between 1915-1918, but, even with 

 the high war prices ruling for the products, the Government 

 experienced difficulty in collecting the rent. In connection 

 with the operations of this company, a further extension 

 of lease for one year was granted in 1918 to enable them 

 to remove their plant, which operation was apparently never 

 effected; doubtless, for the simple reason that value of the 

 said plant did not warrant its removal. 



The proposition had not been a payable one, and the 

 company had gone into liquidation dD. Yet there were 

 those who had the temerity to be again contemplating a 

 lease of the island, with a view to further prosecution of 

 the blubber industry. This is surely unjustifiable slaugh- 

 ter, though Mr. Hatch has recently delivered propaganda 

 lectures (12) in Tasmania and New Zealand with a view 

 to substantiating a claim for a further lease. The very 

 interesting life of the island lends itself as a subject for a 

 lantern lecture, and, if skilfully handled, can doubtless be 

 made vei'y good propaganda to draw the sympathies of the 

 audience to the lecturer. In this way must be explained 

 the psychological anomaly of some, at least, of these audi- 

 ences, which, after admiring the views of the wonderful 

 animal life, have ended by expressing confidence in the very 

 gentleman who, for practically thirty years past, has made 

 it his business to slaughter annually vast numbers of the 

 island population. 



The argument which counsels the v^ithholding of a lease 

 of the island for the prosecution of the blubber oil industry 

 is that, unless conducted on a scientific basis and under 

 proper control, the annihilation of certain species will be 

 quickly accomplished. It has been asserted that the kill- 



(11) Sec the Ilobarl Mercury, '26th Novc-mhcr, 1920. 



(12) I rf>;rot that Mr. Hatch, on account of my clTorts to maintain 

 the iMland ils n Hanctiiary for the fauna, haH, in the course of these 

 locturen, accordinsr to press reportB, found It nocCHHary to make dis- 

 pnraKinK and wholly unfounded statements reKardinj,; niyHclf. Con- 

 trary to Mr. Hatch's aKScrtions, the extablishment of the Autitralnsian 

 Antarctic Kxpedition station at Maccjuaric iHland was u Kreat boon to 

 his commercial operations. Twice in the period of the two years the 

 Kxpedition rendered siKnal avsi.'ttanre to his undertakinK nt some finan- 

 cial Itws to ourselves. On the other han<l, Mr. Hatch never went out 

 of his way at any time to assial our oponilinnH. 



Judtcinr by the records of other exiiolitions, we wen: not alone In 

 these unsatisfactory relations with the contleman. 



