MATAMATA PRICE LOWEST.

Matamata Record, Volume XIII, Issue 1140, 21 July 1930, Page 5

MATAMATA PRICE LOWEST.

'INTERESTING COMMENT. \ , i;v> ' Q. no cAi> Counties’ Discussion. Interesting comment was made by Cr. J. W. Anderson, chairman of ’ the Matamata County Council, on matters discussed at the counties’ conference in Wellington, to members of his council at. the July meeting.

' Speaking of the hospital rate, Cr. Anderson stated that, though the conference favoured the levy being raised half on a population basis and half on a capital value basis, it had been found that for some counties this would mean an increase, though with Matamata it would mean a decrease. Auckland city was one area where the levy would be reduced. It had been decided not to interfere with the Noxious Weeds Act. It was stated that sodium chlorate was 100 per cent, effective on softleaved weeds. The cost of spraying was estimated to be only four shillings per acre. Two men spraying would cover as much ground as a mowing machine in one day. Cr. W. H. Allen said he believed that a British chemical firm had known of the cure for years, and it was on this firm’s recommendation that the remedy had been adopted by the Department of Agriculture.

Cr. Moir hazarded the opinion that it would be hard to beat, old sheep for stamping out ragwort. The chairman replied that it was not always practicable for everyone to put on sheep. .-In Southland such procedui'e might be quite all right, but in that district the weed did not spread to the extent that it did in the North Island.

Cr. Moir said he had cleaned up a patch of ragwort with sheep and it was now as clean as a table. Cr. Allen said a resolution, had been passed by the provincial council of the Farmers’ Union asking the Department of Agriculture to stock the chemical for the benefit of farmers. The cost to the department was understood to be about four pence per pound. Cr. Moir said sodium chlorate could be obtained in Matamata for six pence per pound. Cr. Bruce : I believe it is Is 3d in Cambridge.

The council then went on with other business.