CONTROL OF RAGWORT

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4403, 10 June 1933, Page 5

CONTROL OF RAGWORT

AND LOCAL BODIES. “SHEEP ONLY WAY.” A letter from the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was received at the Waitomo County Council meeting yesterday. Enclosed was a resolution passed at a special meeting at New Plymouth enjoining that the control of noxious weeds be placed in the hands of the local bodies { and that they should have authority to collect the additional rates necessary for this purpose, these moneys to be subsidised to an amount equal to the Government's expenditure, plus an equal amount of what should be due by the Government in rates on Government and native lands. In the accompanying letter ragwort was particularly referred to. The chariman reported on the conference held recently at Hamilton to consider the same question. The consensus of opinion was that the Bill proposed was altogether too drastic for the outer districts, and, moreover, would incorporate no provision for destroying the weed on Crown, native and unoccupied lands. He considered that" if the project were carried out in a district like this, the decrease in rates hoped to be brought about by the petrol tax would be nullified, and an increase result. However, 60 or 70 counties in the Dominion had supported the proposal, and said that their delegates would vote for it at the Counties’ Conference. Something should be done or the Council would find this unwelcome task on their hands.

In reply to Cr. Jones, the chairman said that the proposal was to be optional, but this would very likely be dropped when it was passing through the House. It was proposed that it be worked on the same lines as the Rabbit Act, but where it would cost pence per acre to exterminate rabbits, it would cost pounds to do the same with ragwort. Some discussion on the methods of dealing with ragwort followed, the difference between the menace as it exists in this district and in in closely settled dairying districts, which appeared to be supporting this proposal, being commented on. Cr. Georgetti said sodium chlorate was far too costly to use year in and year out here; the only way to combat ragwort was by continuous grazing of sheep. “I think I have proved that beyond a doubt,” he said. “The trouble is that one man grazes his sheep while the man next door does nothing. When the seed comes over and the plants appear through the grass 'next spring, he thinks that the sheep have been ineffective.” Cr. Neal: “If we tried to carry out this scheme properly it would ruin the lot of us in five years, for it is impossible to keep down the weed on third class lands.” Mention was made of a proposal for the closely settled counties to group together and administer their 'noxious weeds in the manner best suited or their needs. It was decided to submit a remit to the Counties’ Conference to the effect that any attempt to place the control of ragwort with local bodies would be strenuously opposed unless adequate provision were made for dealing with the weed on abandoned and hative lands.