NOXIOUS WEEDS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1935, Page 4

NOXIOUS WEEDS

SPREAD OF RAGWORT

It was decided by the : Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union'yesterday, afternoon to call to the attention of the Government again the spread of ragwort in New Zealand.

Mr. W. Morrison CWanganui) said that the spread of ragwort was appalling, particularly in the. Te Kuiti district. The position was bad in the Dunedin district. The weed did not seem to affect stock in the South Island as it did in the North Island. In his district farmers would not buy stock from an infected area. He thought' the Government should be urged continuously to do its best to eradicate the weed. Counties had been given the power by legislation to take control, .and that was being ,done by three or four counties in the Waikato. In his county tenders were called for the. supply of sodium chlorate, and it was retailed to the ratepayers at a 25 per cent, reduction. .

Mr. L. Hammond contended that the ratepayers;had- the .solution .of the problem in their own hands. Their county representatives had the power to deal with the noxious weeds.menace in their own way.

Mr. W. Horrobin said that the. counties were asked to accept a tremendous responsibility. In his view, for any campaign to be successful, a substantial subsidy would have to be given to local bodies. ■ •■-.«

There were other speakers who declared that the Government inspectors had not done their job in the past in some districts. *

The executive also decided to ask the Government for a continuation of the subsidy on sodium chlorate.