“BEST THING TO DO”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32306, 30 August 1943, Page 5

“BEST THING TO DO”

ASK CROWN TO RESUME

NO VALUE FOR FARMING

WAIORONGOMAI SCHOOL GRANT

“The Thames High School Board is genuinely concerned about the condition of this land and after meeting us on the ground to inspect it, is of the opinion that it should revert to the Crown,” stated the chairman of the Piako County Council, Mr D. Johnson, in reporting on discussions with the above-mentioned board concerning a weed-infested educational grant at Waiorongomai. Reporting further, Mr Johnson said that the land appeared to be of no value for farming purposes and the lessee was not able to take care of it. As a nursery for gorse ana ragwort it was a menace to surrounding country under cultivation. “The best thing to do with this land is to let it revert back to the Crown and the board is also of that opinion,” said Mr Johnson. “The Board is writing to the Crown authorities expressing that opinion and I think we should support them. Such land should be got into trees to choke out the weeds and the first step is to get the Crown to resume control. I also think it should be a matter for the county as a whole to take up and not merely a riding matter.”

Cr. Burgess said that when the board had got in touch with him it had asked for various areas to be defined and considerable work in this connection had been done by the engineer, Mr B. H. Horner. This officer had also been asked to contact the tenants asking them to state which areas they were willing to surrender. On the motion of Mi’ Burgess, Mr Horner was given permission to do this additional work.

It was stated that great advantage would be derived if some 1500 or 1600 acres of foothills country was reafforested. No part of the flat and cultivatable land would be touched and it would prevent the spread of noxious weeds, soil erosion and the increasing silting up of the Waihou river from that cause.