NOXIOUS WEEDS CONTROL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22317, 3 February 1938, Page 4

NOXIOUS WEEDS CONTROL

£75,000 SPENT BY GOVERNMENT STATEMENT BY MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE The sum of approximately £75,000 has been provided by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labour for the clearing of noxious weed* particularly ragwort. This announcement was made by the Minister for Agriculture 'the Hon. W. Lee Martin) when replying to two remits about the clearing of noxious weeds passed at the last conference of the New Zealand Counties Association. j The remits passed were as follows: j <a> “That the Government subsidise, the salaries and travelling expenses of j inspector; employed solely on noxious j weed? control." ; ,b, “That the Government be urged j to vote sufficient money to the Dc- ) partment of Agriculture for the pur- ' nose of cleari"" noxious weeds, particularly ragwort. on . unoccupied 1 Crown and Native Lands. Minister’s Reply "I have to advise that this type of land is being dealt with by the various county councils that have taken advantage of the scheme for the control and eradication of ragwort.” states the Minister’s reply. “In this connexion I may mention that a sum or approximately £75.000 has been provided bv my department and the Department of Labour for this work, and allocations have been made to county councils, the condition of work stipulating that they must carry out tfionf operations on unoccupied Crown and Native lands to the satisfaction of the department. The finance available this year will enable far greater work to ho accomplished on these lands than was ever before accomplishedAt the last meeting of the execulive of the associstion, it was stated, that tlm first remit had not been answered". It was decided to draw the Minister's attention to the omission.