MENACED BY OTHER

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3265, 19 May 1943, Page 4

MENACED BY OTHER

THAMES COUNTY LANDS, RAGWORT INFESTED AREAS NEIGHBOURS OVERRUN BY PEST “This county is reasonably clear of Ragwort. We have a bit, but it is nothing compared with other counties,” commented the chairman, Mr D. Courtney, at the May meeting of the Thames County Council when a letter was received from the Hauraki Plains County Council calling a conference in Hamilton of all local authorities in the South Auckland area to plan a campaign to stamp out the menace of ragwort on a universal scale. The letter from the Hauraki Plains County Council stated that the meeting held at Paeroa recently resolved to make the following recommendations to the conference: — (1) That all local bodies appoint noxious weed inspectors as outlined under the Noxious Weeds Act. (2) That all county councils should .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 of all 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. The clerk, Mr D. Mackay, stated that the Thames County was surrounded by counties over-run with the pest. ■Crs. C. D. Stone and A. Duncan were elected as representatives of the Thames County at the conference. SERIOUS ON PENINSULA MR MI'NIFIE TO ATTEND The opinion that ragwort was becoming a serious menace in some parts of the Coromandel county was expressed at the May meeting of the 'Coromandel County Council when a letter calling a conference of all local bodies to discuss ways and means of 'controlling the pest, was received from the Hauraki Plains County Council. On the motion of Cr. H. C. Bull, seconded by Cr. A. Watkins, Mr E. M. Minifie was appointed to attend the conference on behalf of the Coromandel County Council.