THISTLES. TO THE Trustees of Highway. Boards..

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3358, 21 April 1868, Page 4

THISTLES. TO THE Trustees of Highway. Boards..

Per favour of the Daily Soothwn Cross. GIHTLBMBf,— Now that the list of Highway Boards may be said to be complete as gazetted, I would as an humble individual call your attention to the thistle question. I think you will agree with me that this question may be ranked next in importance to Provincial or Local Self-government, and Education. In addition to my own observation and experience, I hare the authority of the chairman of the meeting held at Otahuhu lome time since, who said that the thistle question was only second in importance to what they were then called together to discuss, viz., Mr. Carleton'a Resolutions as then before the Provinoial Council. And when in coui se of conversation with an old and enterprising settler 'on the Great South Jftoad, his words were, "Unless we keep them down now, they will get ahead of us, and then we may as well leave the country." ] I nay state, as a reason for addressing you in this pablio manner, that having been employed recently , in the capacity of Thistle Inspector, by the Trustees of the Pukekohe Highway District, I have had a good opportunity of forming an opinion upon this plague ; aIBO that I take a very great individual interert in the eradication of this pest : and for these reasons 1 hope to be excused when I put forth my opinion, and state most emphatically that, unless the various Highway Boards co-operate in eradicating I and destroying within their several districts this noxious weed, individual exertion will fail to effect this object. And now that you have fairly got iuto harness, mtny having the power delegated to them by the Superintendent, who is most ready to confer it upon all, you can, before the next crop matures, take steps, if you think fit, to keep them under. And our representatives ought to concert, at or before the next meeting of the Assembly, to have an Act passed which would place the Trustees of Highway Boards in an unmistakable position as regards the power to deal with the lands of absentees, as it is said that the Act paised by the Provincial Council in 185S does not meet this difficulty. For it is a very great hardship for industrious settlers to have to clear their land from thistles, while the adjoining land in many cases is either the land of absentees, or unsold Government land, or public reserves, which are exempt by the Act from such obligation, and which are fast becoming vast seedbeds to grow a further supply for the adjacent farms, and scatter the balance for miles around. In justice to resident settlers, the Government ought to dispose of those lands, and let the reserves even at a nominal rent, with the proviso that the thistles are to be destroyed. If this is not done shortly in lomi districts, the land will become valueless, while in the interim look at the mischief that will be done to adjacent farms.— l am, gentlemsn, your*, &c, Richard Uuamish. Pukekohe West, April 16, 1868.