RAGWORT PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 266, 10 November 1938, Page 24

RAGWORT PROBLEM.

ROTORUA COUNTY CONCERN. EFFECT OF FALLING WOOL PRICES. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) ROTORUA, this day. A prediction that next year there would he considerably fewer sheep on farming areas in the Rotorua district, and that this would increase the rapwort problem, was tnado bv Mr. A. 1,. Keith at the monthly meeting of the Rotorua County Council yesterday. Mr. Keith snid there was no question that considerable progress in the control of the spread of ragwort had been made in the county during the past, two years, but he feared that with prices for wool dropping and sheep farming becoming unprofitable many farmers who were at present running sheep would have to revert to milking to maintain their incomes. Consequently, the spread of ragwort would become more diflicult to qpntrol. and he thought the ragwort problem could quite easily become very serious once more. Discussion arose as a result of a request received from the Tauranga County Council for the council's support of a resolution in* connection with ragwort control as follows:—"That full control of noxious weeds be undertaken by the Government, with provision that in cases where owners of land do not effect a clearance of noxious weeds then such clearance be carried out by the Government, the cost thereof to become a charge upon land so serviced." The chairman, Mr. H. P. Ford, said he did not think the principle right. Owners should first be given an opportunity of dealing with ragwort on their property, otherwise they might be faced with heavy costs if a body of men were sent by the Government to clear up ragwort. ° J lie council took no action regarding the resolution.