THE NORTH MENACED

Northern Advocate, 9 June 1933, Page 6

THE NORTH MENACED

.SPREAD OF RAGWORT. DRASTIC MEASURES IMPERATIVE. A. matter which, though not directly related to the working of the rural intermediate credit system, but which was brought before the Whangarei conference yesterday and aroused con--1 siderable interest and discussion, was the question of the control of ragwort in Northland. The subject came before the conference in the form of a remit from the North Auckland District Board, and the suggestion that urgent and decisive action should be taken for the control and eradication of ragwort received hearty support from the directors of the X. Wairoa Association, the members of the District Board, and other delegates. II was stressed (hat, although Northland lias so far been fairly free trom this pest, (here are indications that Die weed is now becoming established in variolas parts, and those delegates who had experience of it in other districts were insistent that immediate and drastic measures should 1 be immediately instituted to combat it, it the interests of all classes in the community were to lie safeguarded. .Mr d. N. .Massey, .M.F., spoke of the extent to which the spread of ragwort in the King Country and Waikato'had resulted in enormous loss te. a.ll classes of persons interested in country securities. In his opinion, the ragwort had hunted more farmers off their land hi (he affected areas (haei had been driven off by the depression. Tim following resolution was passed, on the- motion of Mr .1. N. :\l cCarroll: j “That thus conference views with I alarm the int induct ion and spread of ragwort in the N’orlhland district, and desires to bring to the notice of the Ministers of Agriculture and Internal Allairs the urgent necessity of giving hi local authorities increased powers to deal with it in their respective districts,”