NOXIOUS WEEDS AMENDMENT BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 20 October 1927, Page 1

NOXIOUS WEEDS AMENDMENT BILL

[Hansard.] -Mr Seddon (Westland).—! do not intend to detain the House at any length at this hour, hut l would implore the .Minister to give the fanners plenty of time thoroughly to understand tire measure. It may he said with reference. to blackberries that as far as the West Const is concerned there is only one blackberry bush, and that extends from .Murchison right down to Hokitika. That, of course, is a gross exaggeration ; but members will realise that if this Hill were put into operation it would cause ruination to numbers of settlers throughout the AVest Coast. I want to say candidly to the Minister of Agriculture, who has never visited the district, that the greatest offenders on the West Coast are- the Government Departments. The Railways Department has recognized in the past that on its reserves blackberry and gorse are spreading and the seeds go across to farmers’ holdings, and the Department has made little effort to keep the blackberry under control. But the Minister of Lands realizes that on the river-beds of the West Const gorse has spread all over the river-bed and on to the adjoining sections of settlers. The Minister of Mines, further, will realize that where goldfields have been abandoned, especi- i ally where old tailings have been left, the first growth to start is gorse and blackberry. 1 should like to know what position the Ross Borough Conn- - oil will he in under this Bill: it holds a commonage of about 50 acres which is entirely covered with gorse and blackberry. Under clause 5 the little Borough of Boss will become bankrupt in no time, because it will not have the means to eradicate either the gorse or the blackberry there. Take the goldfields of Kuniara. The old tailings there, which extend over many acres, are becoming covered with blackberry and gorse. The title of that land has reverted to the Crown. The Crown, if it were to undertake the eradication of those weeds, would employ the whole of the unemployed throughout this Dominion for many months. 1 think the whole problem on the West Coast is a very serious one. I want members to understand that I do not present this difficulty in any captious spirit. The problem on the A\ est ( oast is different from that which is presented generally to the farming community throughout Xew Zealand. The Government Departments which 1 have mentioned are not exactly to blame, but are responsible in some degree for the extent of these weeds, and to apply the provisions of this Bill to the AAestJ t oast would mean ruination to the farmers there, i think the suggestion made by the honourable member for Gisborne to delay consideration of this Bill is quite a sane and sensible suggestion. T have submitted the measure to the local authorities in AVestland so that they may communicate with the farmers, and I am waiting to see what they intend to do. As I saj. the problem for AVest Coast farmers is a very grave one, and 1 know that some settlers would have to walk oft their holdings if the Government attempted to carry out the provisions of clause 5. Many of the farmers down there have attempted to clear their land of the blackberry, and they havetold me, that on what appears to bo fairly clean ground it would cost something like ‘2O an acre to get rid of the pest. Under these conditions I think my suggestion is a reasonable one, and I will support any opposition to this Bill which will give time for deliberation by the people who are most vitally concerned. ...