RAGWORT ON MAORI LAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22318, 16 January 1936, Page 13

RAGWORT ON MAORI LAND

gj rj —May I beg space ,in your paper re above. I think it is about time that the menace of ragwort growing on Maori property adjoin ing dairy farms is looked into. Personally, I looked into the matter several years back and have approached the officer of the local unemployment department to assist in the eradication, but it fell through. I have eve." gone as far as approaching employees of the County Council, and was given to understand that thev could do nothing with it as the local' Maoris do not pay rates. It is embarrassing to the Maori for such an excuse, and ridiculously out of place. I have now come to the conclusion there could never be any encouragement for me to forward the matter again to their notice. The menace of ragwort is of supreme moment to the primary producer and its eradication is of first importance. New Zealand is dependant more on the farmer, and his welfare is of more moment now than ever. My suggestion in the matter is to employ relief workers employed on ragwort and assisted by the Government on both Maori and pakeha property. It is too much, in my opinion, to expect the Maoris, who are mostly relief workers, to do the ragwort on their properties, for the simple reason it does not benefit them, but it is a menace to the dairy farmer. T hope what I have brought to the notice of the public will be helpful to the farmer, and result in co-operation between the Maori and pakeha from now on. A. Gray.