THE RAGWORT MENACE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 February 1925, Page 7

THE RAGWORT MENACE.

DEALING WITH OFFENDERS. The carelessness .of gome landowners in the matter of adequate precautions against the spread of ragwort was drawn attention to to-day by the Hawera county ranger, Mr. G. H. Blackwell. , The ranger, in a special report to the council, stated that there was hardly one farm in .the Ararata and Mere Mere districts that h.ad 'no ragwort on it. Also, it was no use 'to cut the weed while it yvas in flower, and allow it to lie on the ground, as the seed .ripened if it were not burned. In other parts .of the county blackberry was allowed to grow in hedges and alongside streams, thus resulting in the spreading of this noxious weed. Cr Williams, speaking with regard to ragwort, said that evidently' there was a loophole in the Act, as he understood that a person could not be fined more than once a. year for the same offence. What yvas wanted was a provision allowing for tffe prosecution of a landowner if he had ragwort in flower on his land. The county clerk (Mr. J. W. Harding) said he was of the opinion that it was a matter of how the information against the offender was worded. If the matter.was gone about in the right way he thought offenders could be brought to book as many times each year as -was necessary’.

The council decided to forward the ranger’s report to the Agricultural Department in order to draw their attention to the matter.