RAGWORT CONTROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 138, 20 March 1940, Page 5

RAGWORT CONTROL

OPERATIONS IN THE COUNTY SOME INTERESTING VERSIONS The tabling of comparative figures for all the Counties in the South Auckland district showing the expenditure, of moneys allocated for the control of ragwort, drew a. number of interesting comments from the councillors at the monthly meeting of the Whakatane County Council yesterday. Whakatane has expended over the past four years £2,320, £-1,575, £-1,794 and £3,137 respectively. In return nothing had been paid back to the Department by way of rates levied for ragwort control. The Chairman explained that this was due to the fact that the Council had only exercised control over Maori and unindividualised lands. The whole question had been thoroughly discussed at a recent conference which he attended in Hamilton. The Hon. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, carried away with him representations from all the South Auckland local bodies and he felt sure that there would be the strongest support for the continuation of the ragwort subsidy. Cr Smith wondered if all the money spent on ragwort eradication was worth while. To bis mind liesometimes thought it a greater burden than the good it was expected to do. He did not consider the present menace any worse than the bidi-bidi scourge in Gisborne about thirty years ago. Tn those days there was no great,outcry. Farmers merely set to work to combat the pest themselves. They were more hopeful and more confident of the future. Ragwort was getting such a grip to-day because farmers would not deal with it themselves, but continued to squeal for help from the Government. It was explained that the main trouble lay in dealing with the Native land owners and until they were placed on the same basis as the white settlers. Cr McCrcady said that the native I farms on the Ruatoki scheme served as a seeding ground for ragwort, which was borne by the river on to the flats below. The Chairman explained that the Ruatoki Maoris had their own control scheme. Cr McCrcady: There is more ragwort up the Gorge than in any other part of the County. Cr Cawte: I don't want to criticise the Ruatoki scheme.. They are doing a wonderful job—better than the Government themselves. The settlers who took the land on the | flats knew they would have to fight the ragwort and they are prepared to do so. The natives are making a wonderful effort up there. A councillor observed that Waipa, where he had recently been, the ragwort was head high and as thick as maize stalks. Cr McCready: You go up the Gorge and when you ride through it it is as tall as your horse. That's the seed that is filling our flats. Cr McGougan: Unless we tackle the source of it we'll never clean it up. The subject was then dropped.