NOXIOUS WEEDS PROBLEM.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4397, 25 May 1933, Page 3

NOXIOUS WEEDS PROBLEM.

A NATIONAL QUESTION.

That the eradicating of noxious weeds was a matter that must be treated as of national importance was expressed by some members of the Egmont County Council at a recent meeting when this subject came u'nder discussion. The result of the discussion was the carrying of a motion that the Docal Bodies' Association and the officers of the Department of Agriculture should co-oper-ate for the purpose of evolving some scheme for the eradication of noxious weeds.

A letter was received from the Taranaki Local Bodies' Association, enclosing a reply from the Minister of Agriculture asking for further information as to how the Government could co-operate further with local bodies.

Councillor W. C. Green (chairman) said this matter had been fully discussed at a conference of representatives of local bodies at Stratford a short time ago. The finding of a solution was a difficult matter. Some persons considered the control of the noxious weeds eradication should be vested in the county councils, but he was afraid the councils would not be prepared to accept that unless the Government found the money. His own opinion was that instead of placing money on the estimates for the making of roads and the opening up of country that could never be made farming country, the Government would have been wiser to have allocated the money for the clearing of noxious weeds and have allowed the councils to have the spending of the money. It was the same principle as at present followed in connection with the making of roads. The council could easily appoint one of their officers as an inspector, as was done in regard to weeds on road frontages, but councils would not want to send their officers on to farms while there were Government inspectors whose work that was, unless the councils were given authority to spend money provided from other than county revenue. It was true that work might be provided for the unemployed, but he held that the Government should assist with the eradication of noxious weeds, as Crown lands and soldiers' settlements were the greatest menace. It had never been suggested that the onus of clearing the weeds should be placed on councils, and he did not think the councils would accept that responsibility. Councillor J. S. Tosland suggested that one feature of the trouble was the unsuitable tenure under which some lands -were held, and that some occupiers preferred to pay a fine rather than clear the weeds. He was not in favour of the way the matter was handled by the department. Action should be taken earlier in the season rather than after the weeds had seeded. It was time the question

was taken hold of in a practical and effective way, as the weeds not only diminished the rateable value of the property concerned, but they became a menace to the surrounding country. He therefore moved that the Local Bodies' Association and the Government officers should combine to find some means of solving the problem.

Councillor G. Gibson seconded and said that the job was a national one, and could not be tackled by any one county. Councillor J. Young said what was required was the enforcement of the regulations in regard to the clearing of noxious weeds. If the matter was treated from a national point of view the man with a clean farm would be penalised for the benefit of the man with the dirty land. The matter had been in the hands of the Government for many years and the Council had passed many resolutions, but nothing effective was done. Councillor T. Willcox said the Government should be asked to take action to eradicate the weeds on its own lands. The resolution was carried.