FIREBLIGHT PREVENTION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 233, 14 September 1922, Page 4

FIREBLIGHT PREVENTION.

MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD ORCHARDISTS. (Special to “Tribune.”) Wellington, Sept. 14. Power to deal with hawthorn hedges to prevent the spread of fireblight is contained in the Fireblight Bill, read the first time in the Hasse yesterday. For the purpose of preventing the spread of and eradicating fireblight, the Governor-General may declare any specified portion of New Zealand to’be a commercial fruit-grow. ing district. He may then make regulations prescribing trimming or cutting down of all hawthorn growing within the area, and on being satisfied that fireblight exists in the area he may prescribe the complete destruction within a specified time of all hawthorn in the area, or in any specified part oi the area. If the occupier fails to take the necessary steps an authorised officer may do the work at the occupier’s expense, hnt this will not relieve the occupier of liability to a fine not exceeding £5 for the first offence and not exceeding £5O for each subsequent offence. The Bill proposes to repeal sections two and three of the Noxious Weeds Amendment Act, 1921, and provides that all special orders made by local authorities declaring hawthorn to be a noxious weed within their district shall he deemed to be revoked « s from the passing of th© Bill.