King Country Chronicle Saturday, October 14, 1933. DEALING WITH RAGWORT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4457, 14 October 1933, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Saturday, October 14, 1933. DEALING WITH RAGWORT.

The ragwort menace is a national matter, and when the Minister of Agriculture was in Te Kuiti last July he was asked to treat it as such by the Government granting a subsidy for the purchase of sodium chlorate. It now appears that there is no intention of granting any such assistance, beyond giving County Councils the power to borrow money to purchase sodium chlorate and sell to the settlers at cost price. Neither the County Councils nor the farmers will view the proposal with any enthusiasm. It is well known that the ragwort problem throughout the King Country is mainly due to the idle Crown and Native lands acting as breeding grounds for the weed and spreading it broadcast over the whole district, yet nothing has been done to deal with these vacant lands, from which the local authorities receive no rates. What will be the position of the sheep farmer? He will be called upon to bear part of the cost of eradicating ragwort in which he is not at all interested. The Minister fails to realise the responsibility of the State when he places the whole responsibility in this matter on local bodies, lit is recognised that the position regarding Native lands is a difficult one, but here again the various Governments must bear a share of blame in not making proper provision to deal with Native lands. It has been a case of drift, with the result that these lands are oij no use to the owners, and a standing menace to the adjoining settlers. In regard to Crown lands it is the bounden duty of the Government to keep these free from noxious growths, and to ask the county councils to take the responsibility for these is beyond reason. It would not be fair to ask the Government to take the whole responsibility for the eradication of ragwort, but a review of the whole position entitles the County Councils and the settlers to some practical financial assistance in dealing with the problem. The proposal of the Minister does not provide that assistance, for it only gives the local bodies authority to borrow money, lend it out, and be responsible for its collection so that it can be returned to the Government with interest added.