FIRE BLIGHT BILL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 239, 22 September 1922, Page 3

FIRE BLIGHT BILL.

A NECESSARY MEASURE. FOR PROTECTION OF ORCHARDISTS. (Special to “Tribune.”) Wellington, Sept. 21. In moving the second leading of the Fire-Blight Bill in the House of Representatives last night, the Minister of Agriculture said lire-blight was in a different Category from other fruit diseases, and therefore it was necessary to have special control over one oi the main sources of its spread—hawthorn. There were parts of New Zealand, however, where hawthorn was more valuable than a small amount of fruitgrowing, and therefore the bill took power to single out what were called commercial fruitgrowing districts, in which it might be necessary to destroy hawthorn. Mr Atmore (Nelson) supported the bill, and said had he had any doubts on the subject the letter he had received from Dr. Tilyard would have set them at rest. Dr. Tilyard wrote that the bill was a good one, and if passed this session would be of great benefit in fighting the blight. Mr Young (Waikato) expressed the opinion that the bill, in the present form, would not injure dairymen, who depended on hawthorn for the shelter of their herds. He thought, however, that residents of the district affected should be given the right of being heard in opposition to any proposal to create a commercial fruitgrowing dis- t trict. Mr Forbes (Hurunui) supported the last speaker and asked for information as to the progress of fire-blight. < The Minister of Education said that 1 in Waitemata and Eden districts fire- I blight was prevailent. Fruitgrowers 1 knew that the only solution was to root out hawthorn, but they had no desire ( to have action taken in districts where < ofher industrialists wishing haw- 1 thorn to remain were in the majority. Mr Hudson (Motueka) supported the bill, saying if the disease were allowed to spread it would mean the ruin of the men who depended on fruitgrowing for a livelihood. The only solution was to eradicate hawthorn entirely | from fruitgrowing districts. t After a further general debate the ( bill was read the second time. 1