RAGWORT CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 30, 5 February 1936, Page 13

RAGWORT CONTROL.

FRANKLIN DEPUTATION. ALLEGED UNFAIR METHODS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) PUKEKOHE, Tuesday. Alleging that the Franklin County Council's methods of controlling ragwort through their noxious weeds inspector were unfair, a deputation from the sub-provincia-1 branch of the Farmers' Union, comprising Messrs. A. C. A. Sexton, M.P., N. Hunter aiid A. Woolsey, waited 011 the Franklin County Council at its monthly meeting at Pukekohe. They also alleged that, apart from the methods, the council was wasting the ratepayers' money through the inspector hiring boys at 1/3 an hour to pull ragwort on the farms. In speaking for the deputation, Mr. N. Hunter said that in one instance the inspector called 011 a farmer a-t the back of Bombay and told him to cut the ragwort before it flowered, stamp it with his heel, and then apply sodium chloride. From experience, the farmer considered that the best method was to let it flower, cut the flowers off and then cut the pest. The farmer decided to wait, and the inspector had written to the mortgagee of the property stating that the work had to be carried out immediately. Such an action was not warranted. Mr. A. C. A. Sexton, M.P., pointed out that the sprea-d of the pest in the county was becoming a menace. The real difficulty lay in the rougher areas of the county, particularly from Bombay to Happy Valley. He would, like to suggest that the council declare certain areas as ragwort infested zones, and put unemployed men on clearing away the weeds on farms in these zones. The men thus employed should be paid out> of unemployed funds, and the clearing w;ork should not be a charge on the farmers.

Messrs. John Dean and J. Henry said the council had been taking a serious view of the whole question, and they considered it had been doing its duty in the best possible manner. The county chairman, Mr. J. N. Massey, pointed out that three years ago, the council spent a fair amount of money in taking unemployed men to various farms to pull ragwort under the No. 5 scheme, but the results were not satisfactory. The eradication had to be tried by other mea-ns, for the spread was alarming. Mr. Massey said that regarding the council writing to the mortgagee of the Bombay property, he considered that Mr. Hunter had exaggerated the position. The noxious weeds inspector, Mr. P. ' Grice, when asked for an explanation, said that where boys were put on to work at 1/6 an hour it had been on the instruction of the property owners, who were paying the cost. In the case mentioned by the deputation, two boys had been put on, but it all depended what was meant by a boy. Their ages were 18 and 22 years. Mr. Massey moved that a small committee of four be set up to go into the suggestion brought forward regarding the use of unemployed labour. Mr. Dean: We are aware of the position in other districts, and we have been carrying out our methods. W© are not going to listen to any dictation from a Farmers' Union. I will move that the inspector carry on with his present duties, and that the farms under consideration be made to clear their ragwort. I am strongly against any men being put to work clearing other men's farms when we cannot get sufficient men to fill our camps. These farmers should not have this labour just to clear their farms of all noxious weeds, and thus improve them in an inexpensive fashion. Mr. Massey's motion lapsed for want of a seconder, and Mr. Dean's was carried.