WEEDS AND LAWS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 429, 10 August 1928, Page 7

WEEDS AND LAWS

“FARMERS WILL BE DRIVEN FROM LAND”

MEMBER ATTACKS NEW BILL

(THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, To-day. Outspoken comment on the Noxious Weeds Bill was made by Mr. T. D. Burnett and others tonight. Mr. Burnett said that the Bill was not worth the paper it was written on. If the provisions of the Bill were properly enforced the Government responsible would not last three months.

To clean Californian thistle from the farmlands of the Dominion would cost more than the land was worth. “Why not have ‘open slather,’ ” said Mr. Burnett. “Let economic needs determine our attitude toward the weeds. On some runs down South if the owners had to clean the weeds they would walk off the properties.” Speaking at a practical farmer, Mr. Burnett said New Zealand’s only hope of getting rid of the blackberry was some scientific discovery. Californian thistle was not a serious menace. If the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Bill were enforced inspectors would be subjected to risk of serious manhandling. “No Bill,” said Mr. Burnett, “is any use unless it has public opinion behind it, and this is laughed at.” Other speakers, including the Hon. D. Buddo, held that Californian thistle was a serious menace to production. The discussion dragged on for some time. Mr. Lysnar forced a division on the question as to whether Californian thistle should be deleted from the first schedule. A motion to this effect was defeated by 45 to 3, the only supporters being Messrs. Lysnar, Eliott and Buddo. The Minister of Agriculture, lion. O. J. Hawken, said there need be no fear of harshness on the part of his officers. Unless they were going to abandon

the Act altogether they must rely on the good sense of the inspectors. The Bill was passed without amendment.