CONTROL OF RAGWORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 59, 12 March 1935, Page 7

CONTROL OF RAGWORT

PETITION TO COUNTY COUNCIL REQUEST NOT ACCEDED TO A netition signed by 30 ratepayers, with Mr G. F. Moore’s signature at the top, was presented to the Waitotara County Council yesterday, asking that the county take over the supervision and control of ragwort in the Kai Iwi district. The matter was fully discussed, after which a motion was carried to the effect that the council is not prepared to assume the control asked for, but will co-operate with the Department of Agriculture to the fullest extent i:i measures d ; .reeted to Reep the pest in check. Cr. L. T. Jones said that to place the enforcement of the Act in the hands of a county council would result in members of that council getting into bad odour with their neighbours. A better scheme would bo to utilise unemployed labour and to appoint deputyinspectors vO work in conjunction with, the inspector of the Agricultural Department. The deputy-inspectors could report where the ragwort was loca-ted and the ployed men could spray it, the cost being charged to the farmers on whose property it was growing. The County Council was responsible only for keeping ragwort off its roads. It was the council’s dutv, however, to urge the Agricultural Depart ment to take action. Cr. T. Alexander: Wo are too prone to shift the responsibility on to someone else. T think the rabbit inspectors should be able to report on the question of ragwort. They are in. a belter position to give the settlers notice to v’ear their land. Cr. Morrison: The Rabbit Board won’t agree to that. Cr. Jones: It’s a matter for the Agricultural Department. If the present staff cannot cope with it, they should get more inspectors. Cr. Goldsbury said that the Maori lands were the worst as regards ragwort. Mr T. Dix, county engineer, said that the whole question was alarming. In his opinion the county should take action by working in conjunction with the Agricultural Department, the latter to tax the title of the land that required clearing and the county to provide the sodium chlorate for spraying purposes. The county had ordered four and a-ha]f tons of sodium this year and many orders had corne in, he added Cr. Jones said that the department should be pressed for more inspectors. The county could report cases, but it was for the department to do the work under the terms of the Act. Cr. H. G. Birch said that there were 40 or 50 acres of ragwort-infested Maori land at Kai Iwi that was undoing all the good work done by European settlers. Cr. A. G. Goldsbury pointed out that much of the infested land belonged to natives against, whom it would he a waste of time to take action. If that was the case it meant that the European settlers would be penalised and the native laud let go scott free. It was decided that the council Is not prepared to accept the full responsibility for the eradication of ragwort, but is willing to co-operate with the Agricultural Department.