IMPORTANT MOVE IN NOXIOUS WEED ERADICATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4498, 30 August 1930, Page 3

IMPORTANT MOVE IN NOXIOUS WEED ERADICATION.

AEA-NAWATU RABBIT BOARD TAKES OVER DUAL CONTROL. An important step in the control of noxious weeds in the Manawatu County was fra'ken on Thursday when the ManaWatu Rabbit Board, after deliberating- on the question for over two hours, decided to ask the Department of Agriculture to appoint its Rabbit Inspector (Mr. D. R. Barron) a noxious weed inspector and the Board decided to undertake, the dual control of rabbits and noxious weeds in its area. The matter has been discussed at various meeting's of the Board and the secretary has spent a good deal of time in obtaining information on the subject for the guidance of members ami when the Board met on Thursday the following resolution passed at a recent NoxiouA Weeds conference was tabled: “That in view of the recent successful .work of the Department of Agriculture in (lie development of spraying methods for weed control, a. different aspect has been placed on the noxious weeds problem and that it was considered that the Noxious Weeds Act need not be interfered with. It was felt that, every facility should be given to the Department of Agriculture to give effect to the recently .discovered methods of weed control and for this purpose the Government should be imjpressed - with the necessity for adequately increasing the grant to the Department of Agriculture for the purpose of carrying out further investigations into methods of weed control and also for demonstrations throughout New Zealand of the methods recommended. In the opinion of the conference the control and the methods of combating noxious weeds should (1) be left in the hands of the Department of Agriculture end of the officers. (2) That the weeds on Crown Lands lie subject to the same attention as other lands where this is economically passible.”

‘The N< i tb Island Rabbit Board’s Association wrote in respect to the above, stating that at a recent conference of Rabbit. Board delegates the resolution passed at the Noxious Weeds conference had been considered and when a resolution was passed that the Association considered that the method adopted by rabbit, boards in having their inspectors declared noxious weeds inspectors was of considerable assistance to the Department of Agriculture in seeing that the noxious .weeds were kept in cheek. CHIEF INSPECTOR’S OPINION. The secretary read an opinion on the matter from the Chief Inspector of the Agriculture Depart-, meat wherein lie stated that the noxious weeds inspectors appointed by Hniiterville, Kiwitea, Apiti-Po-liangina, East Poliangiiia, Cheltenham, |Oroiia, Moawlhango, and Pu-keokahu-Taoroa Rabbit Boards were operatiiig very satisfactorily and that much good work had been done bv them. Mr. Glovn: That seems very satisfactory.

A QUESTION OIF .FINANCE. Mr. W. E. Barber asked, what assistance the Department save Rabbit Boards which appoint their inspectors noxious weeds inspectors?

1 'The chairman (Mr. B. Cl. Gower) said that the Department made a grant of only £5 to cover postage ■charges while stationery was supplied free of cost. Mr. Grant (Government representative) said that, he thought the .Department would meet the Board if the. amount allocated was not sufficient.Jt was in their interests to do so.

Mr. F. iC. Buikos said that that had ilot been the impression he had gained at (lie conference. It had beien considered that the best method of providing the necessary finance for the. work was ky means of a rate.

Mr. W. E. Barber: Taxing the man on the land. Mr. Bailees: Well it is in the interests of the man on the land and the money would carry a Government subsidy. Mr. Barber: Yes, but those who have no noxious weeds will have to stand in with those who have.

Mr..bailees: it was the same with the rabbits.

Mr. Grant said that there would not he a. great deal of clerical work involved as the notices would be sent out- onlj- seasonally. Blackberry and goi’se appeared to he the main noxious weeds in the Manawatu however, but there need be no apprehension over that as there was no need for arbitrary methods on the part of the Board in this connection for the present. Sodium chlorate was being experimented with at present in connection with both these weeds and if successful then compulsion irr eradication of blackberry and gorse might 1m considered.

Mr. W. E. Barber: We should have some effective method of eradication before we take over the control of noxious weeds. Mr. Grant considered that even if the spraying methods were not successful the Board should take some steps to tackle the menace. They need not demand the clearing of badly affected areas but they could insist oil steps to confine the spread of noxious weeds.

CONTROL OF THE INSPECTOR. Mr. Barber asked if the Board would have control of the inspector if they appointed him. Mr. Grant said that the Board would lay down the policy to be adopted in the matter of noxious weeds eradication, and the inspector would make inspections but in the event of a prosecution being considered necessary the Government Inspector would take charge

of the case. Tlie Board did not actually lose control of its inspector but the Government Inspector stepped in and enforced the Act where necessary.

BOA RD AND COUNTY BOUNDARIES.

Air. Barber said that there was a considerable portion of the Manawatu County Council which 'was not included in the Manawatu Rabbit Board district and if the scheme was adopted by the Board it would lie necessary for its successful operation that the whole, of the County area, should be included. The Government Inspector said that he would worik in with the Boards inspector if appointed and see that all areas outside the Rabbit Board district but inside- the County were treated similarly to those under the control of the Board inspector.

NO FEAR OF HARDSHIP. Mr. Barber pointed out that there were properties in the area under ,I’evie.w which were badly covered with gorse and blackberry. He was • afraid that there would be a. number of cases of hardship if these property owners were served with notices to clear their farms of all gorse and blackberry. Mr Grant, however, intimated that there need be no eases of hardship whatever. The inspector would he guided by the Board in the same manner in which be had over the rabbits and need not deal arbitarily with any case until instructed to do so by the Board. He thought that 'the Board would be wise to appoint their inspector a noxious weeds inspector and the Board could then make use of him immediately or wait until they saw how Ihe sodium chlorate experiment worked. Mr. F. C. R a ikes concurred and said if Air. Barron was appointed a noxious weeds inspector be would be available when required. Last year 1m had reported several instances of the spread of ragwort to the Board and if the appointment was made, he could this year serve notices on property owners concerned to have this particular weed destroyed.

A QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY.

Air. Barber was of the opinion that if the Board appointed a noxious weeds inspector it would be laced with a 'certain responsibility which he iwas sure the Department would expect them to shoulder. He would not agree to any appointment unless Hie "Board was prepared to take the matter up in a proper manner.

The chairman said that the inspector could do a vast amount of good in preventing the spread of weeds. Al.i-. Grant: I think this Board can accept the responsibility without any fear of imposing any 'hardship on any farmer. The work could he carried out judiciously and lie thought that the inspector would he of the greatest assistance in checking the straggling noxious growths in the county which were proving such a serious menace.

.Mr. Barber: I’ve got no sympathy lor the man with one gorse hush on his property. Its the man with acres I’m sorry for. He said if was a pity they had no guaranteed weed killer to place before the farmers.

The chairman said that as far as that went they had only to look hack on.the Rabbit Board. When it was formed they did not know of any methods of rabbit destruction to place before the ratepayers, other than catching the pest. Then different poisons came along followed by methods of fumigation and now, best, of all, the cyanide poisoning. The Board was able to tell its ratepayers how to kill rabbits to-day but it could not. advise them on tlie matter when it commenced operations. He looked on the noxious weeds control as in same way and thought it would not he long before some method of eradication was discovered.

Mr. Buikos considered that it: would he in the interests of the farmers for the Board to take over the control of noxious weeds as by so doing it would afford them a gobetween as between themselves and Ihe Government, and a, body which would study their interests. Mr. J. ,F. MicKelvie doubted whether the Board had the power to take over the control of noxious weeds as they had been elected a Rabbit Board. APPOINTMENT MADE.

After some further discussion Mr W. E. Barber moved a resolution fo the effect that the Department of Agriculture be asked to appoint Mr. D. R. Barron as a Noxious Weeds inspector for the Manawatu district. ,and in doing so said that the Manawatu was placed in a veryserious position to-day with regard to noxious weeds but he believed that they were on the verge of the discovery of a method of eradication which would be the salvation of the. waste lands in this county. The farming community need not fear any hardship over the matter of control and he felt: confident that the Board could tackle the job in just as able a manner as it had done the rabbits. Mr. MicKelvie said that he thought the Board was quite capable enough to handle the matter.

Mr. Barber's resolution was seconded by Mr. Raikes and carried unanimously. -

The appointment will probably not be confirmed until Ist October.