Thew Poverty Bay Herald P AND East Coast News Letter.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1002, 17 January 1880, Page 2

Thew Poverty Bay Herald P AND East Coast News Letter.

PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1880,

The farmers, woolgrowers, and landowners^ in our districts, are complaining bitterly at the injury which is being done to the soil by the rapid spread and growth- of the thistle known as the " Variegated." Those who are *" affected, insist that the County ' Council should frame and pass a byelaw, which Bhall make it compulsory for thjtowners or occupiers of land in ■« which thistles are found to extirpate them. In reply to this, we may; state, that having read the Counties Act carefully through, and having made enquiries of the Cook County &Qtsyk^rj^WCfind that ifce Council •i&ei noV possess tire powers- which mould; enableit to pass such a law. In proof of this, we may mention that the Council, when it was only a few wee,ks in existence, did pass a bye-law commanding all owners and occupiers of land under penalties to remove and eradicate that terrible pest known as the Bathurst Burr, and , obnoxious weeds ; but when the byelaw, as required by the Act, was sent to Wellington for confirmation, the clatJSes relating, to the Bathurst. Burr ■were atvvtck out by the Attorney' General as being ultra vires. That is to say theise was nothing in the Counties Act which empowered such a bye-law to be made. It is only by ah Act of the General .Assembly that such a measure as asked for can be passed, and it is very doubtful whether such a power ■would be placed in the hands of any local body 1 . Past experience has , shown it to be very essential that local bodies should have some check , placed upon their acts, because local * bodies are " comprised only of a few members who are- • not nnfrequently inclined to pass laws with too great a liaste. In. our superior legislature, a Btil lias to pass three separate read- ., ings, aud be discussed in Committee fiaca plause seriatim, and then before it can become law, it must pass through the/O«lei|l of the .Upper House, and finally obtain the Vice-regal assent. It is such checks which prevent hasty ' \ftrid M-ednaidered laws being passed. At least this is the effect intended. Wefenow the " variegated " thistle is occupying a good deal of fine soil ; bnt we will suppose that the County Couhcil did possess such powers as to "slfrwtte n»d ;pws^ bye-law, what would be the result? Every man who . owned and occupied land would be : ~ ; ptrt : t6 v & very ''considerable outlay. Thw would cut down the thistle, ''' pkWgn up the roots, watch daily for tne appearance of new growths, and things would look well for a time ; but presently we have a few hot days with a continued nor'-wester, when aw«y fvein>off the hills and from through the gullies, 'and parts overlooked, comes wafted the thistle seed, which wilt ' be followed by a fewshowers of rain, when lo ! there is the thistle putting in an appearance over the. districts, and the work has to be commenced de'navo. We do not say that no effort ought to be made to subdue and overcome this pest. We rather say that no ejlbrt should be left untried. The farmers and landowners should meet, «nd by united action do what is best to be done among themselves. Each man should agree to keep his own land clear, and to see that his neighbours did the same, if it be possible." If, however, it be not possible, we do not think the evil is so great as souks anticipate. These

variegated thistles grow in patches, but do not spread evenly over the whole of the land. Section A shall be troubled with the thistle, while section B knows it not. No one can say exactly why some land is troubled and other lands are not. The opinion of Dr. Hector is that if these thistles be ploughed up, the ground is only being better prepared for a second crop, while if let alone after a lapse of time they die out, leaving the ground greatly improved and richer in those elements so desirable for cultivation. However, laud tenants and landowners shoukl'meet to consider what may be done, and having so considered then, to set about doing it at once,. or with as little delay as possible, in the best possible way.