A GROWING CURSE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 2, 2 November 1906, Page 2

A GROWING CURSE.

The Noxious Weeds Question. A matter of the greatest importance to every settler in the King Country, and one that will have to sooner or later, arid which only becomes a greater evil the longer it is allowed to go untackled, came up for discussion at the last meeting of the Waitomo Council, when a letter was read from the Inspector, asking the Council to declare which of the weeds in the second schedule of the Act, they would adopt. Blackberry, sweet briar, and Cajifornian thistle were, the Clerk explained, in the first schedule, and their eradication was compulsory. The Raglan County Council also wrote asking the Waitomo Council to join in a request to the Minister, that the Stock Department, whosfe officers are inspectors under the N.W. Act, should be provided with better facilities for coping with the evil.

One of the councillors present said that ragwort was plentiful at Te Rau-a-moa, and advised that this weed be scheduled.

After a lengthy discussion, on the comparative evils of the various " curses," it was decided to put the second schedule in force as regards ragwort and gprse. The members were fairly unanimous on the necessity of having the noxious weeds cleared from the Crown and, Native lands throughout the district and expressed the opinion, that the Government should undertake the work on the latter areas, as the Natives were not responsible for introducing these weeds. Finally it was resolved, on the motion of the member for the Otorohanga riding, that , the CowmlVi urge orr the Government, the great desirability of dealing with the Crown and Native Lands, under the Noxious Weed Act, and that the Minister for Agriculture be requested v to co-operate, and obtain the necessary machinery for dealing with this i great and growing evil. ,