NOXIOUS WEED TROUBLES.

Shannon News, 17 December 1929, Page 3

NOXIOUS WEED TROUBLES.

ACTION BY DEPARTMENT STILL BEING URGED. COUNTY COUNCIL TO CUT GOAT’S RUE NEAR MANAWATU BRIDGE.

The problem of noxious weeds wr.s shown to be pressing on the Horowlienua County Council from two directions, at its meeting on Saturday. The Coun ci] had urged the Agricultural Department to take action against laud-own-ers where necessary, but the reply which was received, while promising investi-

gation, appeared to throw the onus tf prosecution on the Council. The other aspect of the matter was a notice sent by the Inspector of Noxious Weeds to the Public Works Department to clear goat’s rue on the road to. tlu; new bridge over the Manawatu Rivet, on the Shannon-Foxton Road. The notification was' passed on to the Council, and resulted, after a discussion of the merits and demerits of the case, in i decision to cut the weed this season. The feeling of the Council, however, was that the adjoining land-owners should be required to do tlicii shaic towards eradicating the pest, The Director-General of the Agricultural Department wrote acknowledging receipt of the Council’s representations

on the subject of noxious weeds grow-. incr on lands adjoining' County roads, lie stated that he would be pleased to go into the matter with a view to seeing whether any clearing could be arranged for before the seeding took place, “ When your Council passed the resolution conveyed in your letter,” he added, “the members were probably not aware that Section 197 of the Coun-

ties Act gives County Councils, powo to deal with noxious weeds. ” “We know about the power,” was the Chairman’s comment, “but we prefer that the Department take the action ” He-moved that the communication be received and that the Department be asked to take the necessary action. The Chairman added that the

Act only gave the. Council power >o spend its own money, not to take act--10 Cr. Gimblett said he understood that there was no longer an inspector stationed in the district. . Cr. Colquhoun stated that the district was under the control of an officer at Palmerston North. The Chairman; We want the Department to force the people to do the work. We don’t want to do it ourselves. The motion was carried. The Council received from the District Engineer of the Public Works De-

partment (Mr R. IL P- Ronayne) a notice which, had been sent to him by the Inspector of Noxious Weeds, Palmerston North, requesting the removal ofv goats rue from the new road from Shannon to the Manawatu bridge, )a the Eoxton Highway. The District Engineer also forwarded to the Council a copy of his reply, in which lie informed the Inspect or that the notification had been sent on to the Ilorowhenua Council for the necessary action, as this , length of Highway was under the control of that body; and advising the Inspector that if this weed was growing on the road reserve noitii of the new bridge, then a similar notice should be forwarded to the Maua

Avatu County Council. In a note to the I-loioAvhemia Council, the District Engineer stated that the cost of removal of this Aveed is subsidised as mamten“lt is uoavs to knoAV that they will subsidise it,” said Cr. Gimblett, they clear blackberries up our way. The Chairman replied that Cr. Gimblctt was unfortunate in this respect, as Gladstone Road was not a Highway. Cr. Barber: If I have removed a lot. of briar, I can put in a claims The Chairman: No; you are not a local body. (Laughter.) The opinion was expressed bv tm Chairman that, if the Board was prepared to subsidise the work, the Couu.a Engineer should be instructed to clear the goats rue on the road betAveen Shannon and the ManaAA r atu L-iidgi.

Cr. Gimblett: It is a pretty big question, owing to the amount of money involved. Goats rue is goats rue, aim. the work is not going to be done for a few shillings.

Cr. Barber: I heard one man say that he would not- clear a certain paddock for £lO an acre. The Chairman:'lf you are not going to do it, it. is going to seed. Cr. Gimblett said that there was a solid wall of the weed in a. paddocl. adjoining the. road to the bridge. H was thicker than a lucerne crop would

be. Cr. Barber: A niOA'c- should be made to have settlers clear their mvn paddosks. I have my particular section cleared of it, yet it is seeding rightup against the fence. The Chairman: That is a matter for the Agricultural Department. Cr. Gimblett said that the suggestion that the settlers clear tlieir land Avas a good one, but it Avould require concerted action. The land where tlie goats rue Avas groAving Avas of particularly fine quality, but it Avas one of the worst, infested pieces in New Zealand and at present that land Avas useless. It avoulcl be no good spending money there until some concerted action was taken.

The Chairman: If the Board is prepared to subsidise this Avork at £2 fojr £l, as maintenance, we should take some action and notify tho land-owners. Cr. Gimblett: The settlers in that district have got notice to clear it. Is is quite an annual affair. The Chairman: I think Ave should take some steps, e\ r eu if we only cut it.

Cr. Barber: If you do that, you may have to go over it a second time. Cr. Gimblett: The expenditure Avill not be much if we just cut it. If we do that this year, wc can consider it again next year. Cr. Ryder: If I have gorse on my * «

paddock near the road and don’t cue it, will the Council come along and cut it. The Chairman: No, I don’t think s>. Cr. Ryder: Why, in -another locality, should Ave cut goats rue. Cr. Gimblett: Because it is a Main Higlw-ayJ. Tlie sooner avo make our roads IligliAvays the better. The Chairman: We can go back next year and force the OAvners to do it. On the motion ef the Chairman,' seconded by Cr.- Gimblett, It Avas resolved that the goats rue referred to in the notification be cut this year. .