A NATIONAL QUESTION

Matamata Record, Volume XX, Issue 1828, 29 April 1937, Page 1

A NATIONAL QUESTION

RAGWORT CONTROL Matamata Farmers’ Remit “ That the Government be asked to make the ragwort question a national one, with one board in control with power to investigate, and so bring the whole question under the most efficient control possible."

This was a remit put forward by Mr. L. L. Newell, of Tokoroa, at the annual meeting of the Rotorua Subprovincial Executive - of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union.

Mr. Newell suggested that at the moment ragwort was being tackled in patches which was unfair to many farmers. The Matamata county was the most closely worked area in New Zealand, yet even within the county there were patches which were not being adequately attended to. Out** side the county huge areas were al- . lowed to seed freely. An experiment in which roots of the plants were cut into inch-lengths and planted revealed that 25 per cent. grew. Thus what was the use of hoeing the weed. Again, it appeared: clear that some brands of sodium were not effective, and as manures were tested for quality, so should the sodium be test* ed. The plant was poisonous, • yet experts said there was no cure, so there was a further point which should be investigated. No matter - how they looked at it, there wag no doubt it was a national question'. Mr. H. M. Gouk seconded the motion, but felt that reference to a board should be deleted. He believed that the method of application of the sodium had much to do with the sue* cess or otherwise of the use of thd chemical.

The remit was adopted, the word “body” being substituted for the word “board.”

Messrs. H. O. Mellsop, D. B. Higgins, F. C. Bush and H. Rollett alsol briefly supported the remit. Mr. L. Watkins, while agreeing with the idea of it being a national question, emphasised that more stem measures should be taken to ensure that farmers on good land with only a little ragwort kept their farms clean. On the other hand the Crown should clear its own areas, and farmers whose properties were overrun should receive assistance. The resolution was carried. W