OTOROHANGA NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 1897, 6 December 1923, Page 6

OTOROHANGA NEWS.

(Our Special Correspondent.) The last sitting of the local Magifltrate's Court for this year will be held on Wednesday next, the 12th inst., when a considerable number of cases are set clown for hearing. The Otorohanga County Council will hold its next meeting on Monday next. The Municipal Band will hold open air recitals each Sunday afternoon, in the Armistice Domain, the initial func : tion taking place last Sunday afternoon before a large and appreciative audience of citizens and visitors. The Catholic Church mission is bein'4 largely attended, and the services will be held twice daily throughout the week, whilst extra afternoon services will be held daily for the children of the parish. Father McGrath, S.M., conducts the mission. NOXIOUS WEEDS. The Chief Inspector of Noxious Weeds has been here addressing the farmers on the urgent necessity of united and instantaneous action in order to prevent the spread of ragwort, bv cutting the plant before it seeds. 'Mr Munro states that in his tour of inspection he lias found that this particular weed has increased in an alarming manner, and had now assumed most dangerous proportions, and something had to be done at once to check the evil, if only in the interests of the great dairying industry in the Otorohanga district. He considered that the district inspectors had done their work well and faithfully, but he had found many cases where the landowners were very lax, and had allowed the weed to get the upper band. His Department were now determined to apply the law strenuously, and compel those who. had made little or no effort to eradicate ragwort to do so at once, otherwise the machinery of the law will be stb in motion forthwith. He considered that the present condition had been reached by the accumulated neglect of the past twenty-five years, and the time had now arrived to take most drastic action.

Mr Holleston, M.P. for Waitomo, was present, and stated that the Government had in view a scheme for closer settlement throughout the whole of the King Country. Regarding the unimproved lands, he thought it would be necessary to have the Native lands individualised, and the titles issued to the various owners, when they would at once become liable with their pakeha brethren for the spread of noxious weeds. The meetings were generally in favour of united and drastic action being taken forthwith. OTOROHANGA OPERATIC SOCIETY Messrs Win. Sparks, conductor of the above, together with Messrs Rowland and H. Atkinson, have visited Pirongia to make the necessary crrangements for the production of H.M.S. Pinafore, in that town on Boxing night. They speak in flattering terms of the large new concrete hall at Pirongia, in which the opera will be staged. Motor lorries will leave here with the members of the company on the morning of the 25th. They will be the' guests of the Pirongia Racing Club at their annual race meeting on Boxing Day.