MENACE TO ALL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3257, 30 April 1943, Page 5

MENACE TO ALL

CONFERENCE IN PAEROA GOOD LAND IN DANGER AMENDMENT TO ACT SOUGHT The conference of local authorities interested was held in the Coronation Chambers, Paeroa, on Wednesday, Mr C. W. Parfitt (Hauraki Plains County Council) presiding over Messrs D. G. y. Cheale, E. A.

Mahoney and W. W. Williams ('Hauraki Plains County Council), T. A. Barrett, G. A. Avery, T. Cotter and L. E. Shaw (Ohinemuri County Council) D. Johnson, *F. E. Harris and R. Eastwood (Piako County Council). Mr Parfitt explained, the reason for calling the conference, emphasising the need to bring about a more effective control of ragwort as soon as possible. Times were difficult, he agreed, due to war conditions and a resulting shortage of labour and material. ' Ragwort, he contended, was a great menace to grazing land. No matter how hard a farmer worked to keep his land free from ragwort all his work went for nothing if his neighbour did not keep his farm clean. The some applied in a .bigger scale in counties and no matter what work was done by one country it came to nothing if the neighbouring county did not co-operate and keep the ragwort from seeding. All Farms Endangered Ragwort, he sard, was one of the worst noxious weeds in New Zealand and the object of the conference was to arrange a campaign against this menace with the methods at present at the disposal of local bodies. Mr Parfitt suggested that as the • spread of ragwort affected all, both the farmer with clean land as well as the man with a badly infested farm, every farmer • should co-operate in the attempt to be made to eradicate the pest. | “The man with clean land to-day will find it badly infested to-morrow if he does not help his neighbour in controlling the pest,” said Mr Parfitt in pointing out that the seed was wind borne and travelled many miles. In his opinion all noxious weeds inspectors’ costs should be borne equally by the farmer with clean land as well as the man with a dirty farm. The material used to kill the weed should also be subsidised both by the counties and the Government so that the user paid one-third, the Government one-third and the county one-third. Such assistance would be a very cheap insurance for the man with the clean land and would assist in removing the continual menace with which he was at present faced. Piako Realised Danger The control and eradication was of vital importance to the Crown, said Mr Parfitt and he did not think there

would be much difficulty in securing the subsidy he suggested. “Such a grave menace must be attacked in a comprehensive way,” concluded Mr Parfitt in inviting an expression of opinion from those present.

Mr Johnson that the Piako County Council appreciated the fact that they had been invited to attend the conference and gave an assurance that his council would co-operate where and however they could. The Piako County Council was now fully alive to the menace of ragwort and l’?.d an inspector on the job. An inspector was the only means by which farmers could be made to keep their land free of ragwort. He pointed out that the courts, however, had not backed the local authorities up in their fight to stamp .out ragwort, stating that in his opinion in the past farmers with ragwort' on their properties had been let off altogether too lightly. More severe penalties would 'be needed in the future. Subsidy From Government He argued that the local bodies should press for a subsidy from the Government as the task of controlling ragwort had now become of national importance. The community as a whole would suffer if ragwort took charge of good farm land and affected production as it was already doing.

In his opinion the Government had bedn partly the cause of the tremendous spread of ragwort as he had seen clouds of seed blowing off Crown land on the hills onto the flats. He stressed the advantage of the poison for killing the weed, being in powder form, as a farmer could then carry a small tin in his pocket and use it on any plant he found while he was working his property. Liquid was more difficult to handle. Mr T. A. Barrett said that the Ohinemuri County Council had received a grant from the Government for the last five years but to-day poison was the problem, it being practically impossible to procure. In his opinion if Crown and native land was kept clean it would not be so difficult for farmers to keep their land clean. Ragwort Should Come First

Mr McMillan said he considered ragwort second only to the Japanese menace and agreed with the chairman that it was a matter in which all should subscribe.

“We send our men away to keep the Japs from our shore and the same method should be applied by farmers to keep ragwort off their land. They should attack it and kill it before it spreads on to their land,” said Mr McMillan.

Continuing, Mr McMillan said that while all agreed that the Erosion Bill was an excellent measure in his opinion the Government should have attacked ragwort "first as the greater evil. Both were interlocked as the reafforestation of the hills would

crush out the ragwort there and thereby prevent these inaccessible places acting as nurseries for the weed.

The task of controlling ragwort was a national job and in his opinion this conference was only the first of many which would be held in New Zealand. The three counties represented at the conference could do little if neighbouring counties allowed ragwort to flourish. He would like to see che Government take the first step in the control of the menace then the counties right on down to the farm owner. Ragwort Bill Urged In his opinion ragwort had to be ■dealt with before it flowered otherwise all the work done was wasted. He suggested that the conference urge the Government to commence a campaign against all ragwort infested country. A Ragwort Bill should be passed similarly to the Erosion Bill.

Mr T. A. Cotter agreed that ragwort was a serious menace, stating that it was very bad in the Karangahake district. It had cost him £5OO in the last few years and he had had to sell his herd and take on sheep. He had now got the weed under control. The trouble was that at first isolated plants were neglected by farmers instead of being dealt with at once and then the farmer suddenly found his farm badly infested. Today ragwort had spread so much that its eradication was a national matter. He was pleased to see the present move before the position became too serious. He explained that ragwort did not flower in the first year and died after its third year. Cutting ragwort near the top of the stem was useless it only sprouted lower down and still seeded, he said, producing sample plants to prove his contentions. 100 Per Cent. Increase Mr L. E. Shaw said that in the Ohinemuri county ragwort had increased 'by over 100 per cent, and was the worst it had been for five years. ■He agreed that the menace had become a national problem and that Government aid would be necessary to do any good.

' An inspector employed full time on | the job is required in every county, he said.

Mr Mahoney agreed that ragwort was now a national matter. He had watched the growth and spread of the weed for the past 18 years and was fully alive to the need of a Noxious Weed Inspector solely on the one job. Since the Hauraki Plains inspector had been in the Armed Forces ragwort had increased 300 per cent, in that area in the short term of four or five months.

Mr Avery stated that ragwort eradication was a national problem, pointing out that 39 years ago hardly a plant could be found in the Thames Valley while to-day there were few farms without it. Force Farmers Off Land Ragwort was becoming 1 thicker and thicker each year and it would not be long before it would force some settlers off hill properties. He agreed that each local authority needed a full time inspector to do the job properly. Mr Cheale agreed that ragwort was a very grave menace’to New Zealand to-day. He considered noxious weeds inspectors should be harder on property owners who did nothing to clear their land, especially those who were holding land bn a speculation basis. Without something was done very soon, farmers would be spending big sums each year to clear land at present free from ragwort.

Mr Harris said he was very pleased to hear that local bodies were realising the danger of ragwort. He agreed that steps similar to those mentioned would have to be taken to protect good farm land. He did not agree that the Government should handle the matter as they had already shown that they could not deal with the menace and had asked the counties to take the matter over. Absentee Landlords Blamed In his opinion to-day the noxious weed inspector was more important than the county engineer or county clerk. Absentee landlords were causing the most trouble, added Mr Harris, because good farmers living on their farms were doing all they could to check the spread of the weed. He uttered a protest against the small fines imposed by the courts on farmers who failed to deal with ragwort efficiently. These men often menaced hundreds of acres and yet were made to pay merely a nominal fine. He urged that the Act be amended to provide for a bigger minimum and maximum fine. In his opinion the fine should be at least £lOO after a farmer had been fined once or twice for not clearing ragwort. He suggested that a committee be set up to investigate the best method

of dealing with the menace. Mr Parfitt said in his x opinion it would be most satisfactory if local bodies controlled ragwort but the Government should be asked to assist with finance. Crown and native land had been largely responsible for the spread of ragwort. He agreed that heavier court penalties were needed. Ragwort Board Suggested

Mr Mahoney pointed out that inspectors had ,no jurisdiction over Crown and native land if not individually owned. This was a weakness in the Act and should be be amended. Mr McMillan suggested that a Ragwort Board similar to a Rabbit Board might be able to deal with the problem more satisfactorily.

Mr Barrett moved “that this meeting of Hauraki Plains, Piako and Ohinemuri County Councils forwards a joint letter to the Government pointing out the bad state the counties are in with ragwort, particularly on Crown and native lands and requests that a quantity of sodium chlorate or Atlacide be released to treat this menace.” This was seconded by Mr Parfitt and carried.

It was then moved by Mr Johnson and seconded by Mr McMillan, that a conference of the Coromandel County Council, the Thames County Council, the Ohinemuri County Council, Hauraki Plains County Council, Piako County Council? Waitomo County Council, Taumarunui County Council, Franklin County Council, Matamata County Council, ,Waipa ’ County Council, Tauranga County Council, Whakatane County Council,. Opotiki County Council, Raglan County Council, Kawhia County Council with officers from the Department of Agriculture be held at Hamilton with a view to having the Act amended, and for securing Government subsidies in an effort to Stamp out the menace of ragwort on a universal basis. The conference decided to make the following recommendations to the conference to be held at Hamilton, (1) That all local bodies appoint weed inspectors as o;.. under the Noxious Weeds Act.

(2) That all county councils sLsii.-l bear part of the cost of poison used on ragwort-infested land. (3) That the Government commence the reafforestation of land adjoining good farm land. (4) That the Government make a larger free grant annually for the clearing Crown and native land and that poison be readily available for this work.

. (5) That the Act be. amended so that it will be an offence if ragwort is not destroyed. Also to give greater control over native land.

(6) That the Act be amended to provide for a bigger minimum and maximum fine.