RAGWORT CONTROL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 194, 2 September 1937, Page 3

RAGWORT CONTROL

Government Spending Thousands ABANDONED PROPERTIES '■ The campaign initiated last season byithe' Government against the ragwort menace has resulted in an outstanding improvement in those districts where it was vigorously carried out, ' and hhis season it has been decided not only to enlarge the scope of the work, but also to commence operations at an. earlier date. In making this announcement, the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. W. Lee Martin, said that the total Government expenditure on ragwort control in the next f ew' months would be about £75,000, including nearly £40,000 in wages. "The scheme wihich has been fornlulated will- apply primarily to unoccupied Crown and Native lands, abandoned properties. farms of indigent owner,s and other selected types of land where oceupiers cannot be forced to carry out the requirements of the Noxious Weeds Act without assistance," said the Minister. "The work will be performed by unemployed labour, and in the main administered by the county councils under >the direction of the Department of Agriculture. The county councils are to be. granted the use of certified unemployed labour on condition that they pay the men 16s per day for a 40hour week, plus Is per man per day for foremen. The Labour Department to contribute 14s of the daily wages of the men, and the remainder will bo found by the Department of Agriculture, wihich will also reimburse the county councils for the cost of material and the the transport of the men and material. The Department has allocated £1,000 for the provision of sodium chlorate or atlacide for use under special conditions. "I may mention that this campaign is additional to the scientifie invcstigaions wihich are being caTried out by botanists and chemists of the Department into effective methods of eradicating ragwort," said Mr Lco Martin.. 1 'The work of these experts has recently been intensified and every eHort is being made to find an effective method of ridding our pasture of this menacing weed." In conclusion, the Minister paid a tribute to the spontane'ous and Avihole-s hearted co-operation that tho Depart-. ment of Agriculture had received from the county councils. "Without that co-operation," he stated, "it would ihave been impossible to carry out tho scheme. The counties have realised the seriousness of the position, and have played a vital' part in the work. "