"MOST SERIOUS LAND TAX"

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 987, 30 November 1910, Page 10

"MOST SERIOUS LAND TAX"

NOXIOUS "WEEDS,

.The most-serious laud tax in New Zealand, in the opinion: of the. Minister ,ior.'Agriculture,.'tlie Hon. Thomas':Mackenzie, is the noxious weeds trouble; ..In,his annual report, the Minister says',!-.in reference to noxious weeds:— "The difficulty of dealing with this most serious of all taxes uflon the ■ land . in. New. Zealand is increasing year by year. 1 ' : Close: settlement.and good cultivation appear to be the only effectual means! or eombating .tneiweeds.-pest. „'. Specifics ' for destroying weeds by chemical means or by infection with disease have so far proved abortive, 'though fatal fungus affecting in some instances considerable areas, bAve_beeu reported, and : are under investigation by- the officers of; the Department. Goats continue to do.'.satisfactory work; amongst' ' black.berry and briar. ' ' .'., '..'.".!:'.. . ' .: I 'Agricultural organisations and manylocal bodies ask for effective suppression, but an evil which bad become firmly established'before, legislation was en'aoted is. riot to be swept away in; a year. Useful work has been done in many districts, "particularly on agricultural land, N but in grazing and pastoral 1 districts improvement is : less noticeable. "Prosecutions instituted during the year number 243, none without ample warning;" ■ .."