NELSON JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11685, 21 June 1901, Page 7

NELSON JOTTINGS.

THE NOXIOUS WEEDS ACT.

The matter of the Noxious Weeds Act has been. exciting considerable interest of late :n thin district, the outlying portions of which are so seriously troubled toy the dctestsd blackberry. This interest was manifested at a meeting of tho Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association at Richmond on the Bth insf., when there was a jood attendance of farmers to hear a payer on the new Act read by .Mr. (i, E. Field. Mr. Field referred to the airiest impossible task which farmers were set by i.he Act, and said that to clear the land from the blackberry would, in some part? of the district, co.-t three times an much every year as the land was worth. lie blamed the Acclimatisation Societies for the dissemination of all noxious weeds, they having imported the blackbird, thrush, and starling, which -i industriously circulated the sew! ■ Ho considered that the destruction of tna.se birds should be provided lor oat of the general rates, and he advanced as a precedent the ivan.-iir.se of rats by the muivieipal bodies dur,»ig the piaguo scares. He aiso thought that si*, about i&0.'.00 had been paid in the sheen tax since the eradication of the real) a portion of that sum might he devoted to assist in?: the sheep farmers in clearing the land infes/tod with the. noxious weeds, lie i'on;lfci,i:"!ed the (biases respecting

the dealing of read*, ■ml e.l*o the provision for a pencil h.ViVT chtainahlo by a landholder U> do no e!e'-,vi,ic whatever, he holding that for the Act to be effective all lands must, be cleared, and tlu'.t. if any person was ■-in.hi- to clear his hind it ou?;ht to ha done for him. '" ihoiiThl t>',it those areas which were f» badiy overrun that the owners could not clear them should bo handed over to the Government, and taken u . ac;ain under the lease in perpetuity system alter th.o ground had been cleared by the S;ato. The ckurso in the Act i.rond'.iting the sale of dirty se«ds and retiniring the c}eaiiii...r of threshing and other machines was commended. As for remedies, a trie! of the Angora goat was recommended, but this suggestion did not seem to be favourably received by those present. .Mr. Field exhibited a specimen cf a bramble infested with the blight, known as the diaspia rosee. which has lately made its appearance in this district. lie thought it might be desirable to nropatrate lis blight as a check to tha blackberry, but he did not think it siren;,' eimugli i.-> kill. Ho mentioned also that tho rasphevy blight or grub, which tores into the pith of tho plant, had started to attack tiie blackberries in a business-like manner at Pakaw.iu, n«.ir ColliiiKWood. Mr. Field considered that the Act, if made more elastic, would he a m-efal mcasurp. and this view seemed to represent the feeling of the meeting, although ope sneaker (Mr. Silcock) considered the Act, in its present form, to lit a good and lenient one. Of course, there was a general objection to the clearing of roads, nod It. wr.3 urged that this part of the '.'-.-,!-!; should bo a ch.p-iO on local ratea. Various methods of exterminating blackberries were referred to. but. the only one cited as successful was that given by Mr. G. >:. Hunt, of Wakefield, who said he had found burning in January, and sisbserjueistly stocking with sheep, clfective after loilcwing out the plan for two spasonft'. The V/aimcii (lounty Council Lad included worse in the first schedule of tho Noxious Weeds Act. THE ROYAL VISIT. The landing of tho Royal party at Auckland was celebrated here on Tuesday last, anil, as reported in your telegrams, the demonstrations were of a very successful nature, both tit the schools, where the flags were hoisted in he afternoon, and in the streets, where tho illuminations and torch- , light procession provided the attraction for a largo crowd in the evening. In connection with Tuesday'* function Nelson was not permitted to escape i\w annoyance and confusion resulting from those sorry and inexcusable bungles* for which the Defence authorities are becoming rather too noted. When tho Indian troops were visiting us contrary advices as to the time of arrival were sent to the commanding ofricor here by the Commandant of the Faroes and the Defease Minister (Mr. ,'scildonh and it was not until the troops bed landed that the misunderstanding watt explained. The same perplexiro; uncertainty prevailed when the returning South African, troopers were coining from Wellington, and a similar occurrence has had to be recorded hi connection' with the landing of the Royal visitors at Auckland. Late on Monday afternoon, when the arrangements had been made for the demonstration on Tuesday. Major Wolfe received a telegram from the Defence Department, stating that the official landing was lixe-1 for Wednesday afternoon. The military arrangements were hastily cancelled, and the civic, preparations held in abeyance, whilst am explanation of the supposed delay was anxiously awaited. None being forthcoming, a telegram of inquiry was despatched by Major Wolfe on Tuesday morning. About midday he received a reply statins? tint " Wednesday" Inul been substituted in error for " Tuesday" in the other wire ! The previous preparations having been well in bend were carried out successfully, but Nelsotn'tms are naturally much dissati-tie-i with the way in which matlers pertaining to this district, are conducted by those in authority at Wellington. PERSONAL jrATTRRS. Captain Wolfe, officer commanding the Nelson Volunteer district, has been promoted to the rank of major temporarily, pendinga permanent appointment being sanctioned bv the Defence .Minister. Mr. W. Wastney. chairman of the Waimea County Council, who has been incapacitated by illness for about three months, is now about again, but. he has not yet regained his former robust health. Mr. J. G. Little.ioun. of the Land"? and Survey Department, Wellington, has been selected from three applicants for the position of engineer and inspector to the Waimea Crunty Council. Mr. 'ft. A. Edmonds, who recently arrived from Kngland. has been appointed by the City Council as assistant clerk to the town clerk. There were 26 applications, the salary beim? £150 a year Mr. Gre.ham, M.H.R.. has been re-apnointed as a member of the Victoria. College Council. Mr. W. S. 0. Caldwell, late of Collinffwood, died a few days ago at. Coylton, near Feildinsr. at the ase of S7. He removed to the North Island about a year ago.

Sergeant Sudd, of the Second Contingent, and a member of the Wellington staff of the Government Life Insurance Department, arrived at Kelson last week en a visit to his parent". Mr. Win. Askew, sen., an old resident of Riwaka, died ois the 9th hist... at the age of 7.5. .He was ;t native of Lancashire, and came to Nelson with his parents in 1813. GENERAL ITEMS. The Waimea. County Council lias decided to hand over the Motuoka wharf and harbour to th.o Nelson Harbour Board. The question of ultimate control is still iiu abeyance. A petition to Parliament, praying for tho construction of a bridge over the Mot-ueka River, near the site of tho present. baton punt, has betas largely signed. The committee <. i' the Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Adoration ha« resolved to hold the next show on November 26 and 27, arid to iriva about £250 in prizes, in addition to special prize.-. The late of tho old city tramway has been finally sealed, the City Counted having definitely decided to pull up the line. The clergy of Nelson have written to the City Council asking that body to decline to sanction the holding of Sundav entertain. ments in future, when they are held for the purpose of yarn. The request was referred to a committee for consideration.

As a result of the -cut Auckland fire some attention lias been soon locally to the subject of tire escapes. ' The Licensing Committees hove hitherto renin red that escapes should bo provided a! the hotels, but as the escapes consisted for the most part of knotted ropes there i: a feeling that, something more Is required. Two collapsible ladders have lately beet exhibited here, one being composed entirolj of iron standards, cut, into suibtblo ici:i-th«, whilst the other consists of Pe.-io chairs fitted with iron standard rungs, which have projecting ends to keep lb? Sadder rigid arid at a convenient. distance from tie- wall of a building. The latter de-ice, which is protected, is the invention of Archdeacon Grace, of Blenheim. A rifle c'.nb is Peine' formed by a number of ev-voliiiiteei'H in Nelson. The Hisbopdalc Sketching Club has been formed into the Bishop Sutcr Art Society. One of the objects of the society, under its new title, is to provide funds for the. purchase of new pictures and lin> maintenance of tho Putcr Memorial Art Gallery.—[Own Correspondent.]