RAGWORT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 375, 9 November 1932, Page 6

RAGWORT

SERIOUS POSITION

DEPUTATION FROM FARMERS WAITS UPON MINISTER. DEFINITE' ACTION U'RGED. The deputation of South Auckland farmers which waited upon the Minister for Agriculture- last week made it plain that practical men realised the menace to the future of the farming industry caused by the spread of ragwort. The member for Rotorua, Mr. C. H. Clinkard, introduced the deputation, and Mr. H. P. Ford, ehairman of the Rotorua County Council, was among the first speakers. He pointed out that local bodies represented at the deputation were greatly concerned at the rapid spread of ragwort. It was hoped to devise some scheme of co-operation between the Agricultural Department and the local bodies whereby it would be possible to cbeck the spread of ragwort and eradicate it from the infested areas. Siettlers Forced Off Land It was generally assumed that the present sodium chlorate method of attacking the plant was an effective remedy, and it should be available to farmers at the lowest possible cost. Unemployed labour could be utilised in the destruction of the weed. Ragwort was graaually forcing -settlers off their holdings. The Agricultural Department should see that ample supplies of sodium chlorate were available to the various local bodies. Quite Inadequate. Legislation along the lines of the Rabbit Nuisance Act to enable local bodies to deal with the ragwort pest was suggested by Mr. A. L. Mason, Putaruru, secretary of the East Waikato Rabbit Board. The present Noxious Weeds Act, he said, was quite inadequate to cope with the situation. Suitable local bodies should be° given, by means of entirely fresh legislation, the complete range of powers necessary to enforce the eradication of noxious weeds, particularly ragwort. It was suggested that the powers should be similar to those possessed by rabbit boards and that there should be authority to appoint inspectors to supervise the destruction of the weed, to prosecute offenders and clear up pr.operties where occu'piers defaulted. The Minister: How about the finance? Mr. Mason said that such a scheme could be financed by a special rate on an acreage basis. If the principle of the Rabbit Nuisance Act were followed the powers he had outlined could be enforced by the local bodies if a majority of the ratepayers were willing. The Country's Welfare. "The welfare of New Zealand is wrapped up in the question of ragwort destruction," declared Mr. J. J. Shine, of the Putaruru Farmers' Union. Ragwort, he said, was creeping over the country at ' such a rate that untold acres of land would be rendered useless.

The Minister: I know that. Mr. Shine said that undue profit was being made on the sale of sodium chlorate. His information was that it could be distributed at 3d per pound. Sodium chlorate should be decommercialised, and passed on to the farmer as an essential at the lowest possible figure. Mr. F. E. Hughes, Waruville, a director of the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, said that ragwort had driven some of his company's suppliers off their farms. Mr. E. D. White, Putaruru, a member of the Matamata County Council, recalled that a farm in the Putaruru district on. which there had been expended £20,000 was now practically useless as a result of the ravages of ragwort. Minister Sympathetic Replying to the representations, Mr. ^.-.acmillan said he felt grateful to the member for Rotorua for arranging for the deputation, for it would strengthen his own hand in the matter. The Unemployment Board was seized with the necessity for the destruction of ragwort, and it had recently been arranged that local bodies were to be given all the labour required for the destruction of noxious weeds, leaving the farmers to find the material. So far as the Auckland province was concerned, however, it was found that so many men would be required that the scheme would be unworkable. So far as sodium chlorate was concerned the Department of Industries and ' Commerce had investigated the position and found that there was no exploitation and that the prices were reasonable. It had been suggested that the cost of the exchange should be borne by the Consolidated Fund, and with this end in view he intended to make representations to Cabinet. Mr. W. Bromley, a member of the Unemployment Board, said it had been disappointing to find that very little use had been made of the unemployed labour available for 'the destruction of noxious weeds. The board had placed every possible facility at the disposal of farmers and because labour had not been availed of was not due to any laclc of sympathy on the part of the board.