ERADICATING RAGWORT

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3444, 12 November 1932, Page 5

ERADICATING RAGWORT

USE OF UNEMPLOYED. MR. McBRINE WAITS ON COUNCIL. Further with regard to the visit of Mr. 0. Mcßrine, of the Unemployment Board, to Te Kuiti on Thursday, when the matter of diverting unemployed On to ragwort eradication was explained to the Unemployment Committee of the Council, the latter discussed the matter at yesterday's meeting. Cr. C. K. Wilson moved the following resolution, which was carried: "That the Council appreciates the offer of the Unemployment Board to use relief labour in connection with eradication of ragwort, but would point out that the matter of providing material and other costs in addition to labour is a national one in view of the condition of unoccupied Crown land, and urges upon the Government the necessity of providing funds for the required material." In explaining the resolution, Cr. Wilson said it was merely an answer to the offer of the Unemployment Board; it was not intended to interfere with the progress of the scheme. Cr. Lee favoured the Council taking advantage of the offer, expressing the view, however, that the Department should give assistance in the purchasing of sodium chlorate for poisoning. Cr. Neal: The only effective method of dealing with ragwort is to get rid of it completely; relief labour could he used in cutting and though this prevents the seeding it does not eradicate. Cr. Jones endorsed the view that sodium chlorate should be made available to the farmer at a much cheaper rate than at present is charged. Cr. Jensen urged that if anything was to be done, it should be done at once, as the plant would soon be flowering. He was averse to the employment of inexperienced men in poisoning work. Cr. Neal: A man could use £5 worth of poison and material a day and it would be a serious matter if the poison was wasted by inexperienced men.

Cr. Georgetti raised the question — who was going to deal with the inost serious aspect of the problem—the unoccupied and Crown lands. The speaker also pointed out that it was useless for one farmer to keep his holding clear if it was permanently menaced by growth on adjacent unoccupied lands. "Does the Agricultural Department expect the local body to take control of noxious weed eradication?" asked Cr. Georgetti. "Surely the Council has enough to look after already without taking in what should be the Agricultural Department's responsibility," added Cr. Georgetti. Authority was wanted, said the speaker, for putting men on to unoccupied areas. He agreed with the utilisation of unemployed in ragwort destruction, but it looked as though the idea had been fledged too late. It was also decided after a discussion that the Council employ ordinary No. 5 scheme men where suitable men are available upon application being made for same, and upon the farmer providing all material and cost. It also decided that in the event of unemployed men under No. 5 scheme not being available if there is a camp in the locality, that the men be utilised on the ragwort destruction scheme with the permission of the Auckland representative of the Unemployment Board.