Noxious Weeds a National Problem

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 124, 27 May 1937, Page 3

Noxious Weeds a National Problem

RANKING IN IMPORTANCE WITH UNEMPLOYMENT. The opinion that New Zealand’s noxious weeds problem might well rank in importance with the Dominion’s unemployment question, was voiced by Mr i R. Seivers (Makara-Hutt) when speak--1 ing at the Farmers’ "Union conference at Dannevirke yesterday. * 1 There is I no doubt that this is a very serious matter for New Zealand as a whole and not just for the farming community, ” !Mr Seivers stated. “Ragwort, variegated thistle and many other lesser pests are levying huge toll on the pro- • duction of this country, and I doubt . whether the extent to which our pro- ; duction is affected is realised by the ’ country as a whole. I should imagine , that tho losses to this country through i noxious weeds would amount to at least i one per cent, of our total production, ; and this amount must bo well over half l a million pounds. This, of course, is • merely an estimate, but I consider it a - conservative one. In all probability if tho amount could be computed it would ; be a great deal more. Jf If ha loss r caused by these weeds could be seen . or visualised by people there would bo • an outcry and action would be taken . at once to deal with tho matter. In [ the caso of the Hawke’s Bay earthl quake, we all remember the tremendous j efforts which were quite rightly made [ by tho people of New Zealand to repair . the damage. I would suggest to yotl L that the losses through noxious weeds over a five-year period will not be very i much short of the loss created by the terrible catastrophe that I have re- » ferred to. It seems to me that noxious ; weeds must now be regarded as a > national problem and must bo dealt , with from tho point of view of pro- . tecting the assets and the income of the s nation. In fact, I Delieve tha't there is . no better way in which we could ernl ploy those people who are not fortunate enough at the present time to be m permanent employment. I put forward » the suggestion that the noxious weed . problem and our unemployment problem might well be considered side by side. : It may bo that if this is done we shall find at least a temporary solution which is common to both of them.’*