BLACKBERRY TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1918, Page 2

BLACKBERRY TROUBLE.

■ SETTING UP 03? BOARDS ADVOCATED. A special meeting set up -at the last Fanners' Union Conference to confer with the Union Executive, submitted remits to Thursday's meeting of thfe Taranaki Executive of the Farmers' Union. Mr Wood, of Eltbmn, and Mr Deem, Fields Supervisor, Agricultural Department, was also in attendance. Mr Dawes, in introducing the resolutions, briefly reiterated the arguments already given publicity to at other meetings as to tiie necessity for legislation to cope with the menace. He suggested legislation masking it ineamlient ■upon owners and occupiers, when filling in agricultural statistics, to state the area of blackberry on their sections. Such information would then enable Government inspectors to keep the weed under closer supervision. At the chairman's invitation, Mr Deem said that the first essential was to provide for the classification of districts and to secure power whereby County Councils,, or a group of County Councils, in conjunction with the Agricultural Department, could define boundaries. The next step would be to provide power to assist certain farmers, and to make the clearing of weeds a first charge on the land if necessary. The weakness of the present act was that the occupier only was responsible, and in the ease of very short leaaas was impossible, under those conditions, to enforce the work being adequately carried out. And they would never make progress so long as this condition remained, and so long as it was possible for one or two neglected farms to spread the seed all over the country.

Mr Maxwell considered that some radical change in their methods was required, aud the matter was of such importance as to warrant the establishment of a special local authority constituted just as Road Boards and Drainage Boards, etc., were. The officers of the Department had not sufficient powers, and furthermore, if an officer attempted to carry out his work efficiently, he would clash with somebody, political influence would be brought to bear, and ha would be cheeked. If a Noxious Weeds Board were created this would not obtain; they would realise that in the public interest weeds must be suppressed, and they would be in a position to judge every case on its merits. They should have power to raise funds by loan or bv rate to insure every infested section being properly treated. tPower might also be given them to impose differential rates.

Mr Deem pointed out that under the ' Rabbit Act, power was given, on request of a number of settlers, to form a Rabbit Board. They had power to strike a rate, which the Government subsidised £ for £, and they appointed their own inspectors and took control of the whole matter in their districts, Mr Maxwell's suggestions was on somewhat similar lines. After some further discussion it was resolved to send a remit to the Dominion Conference on these lines, and if then approved of to endeavour to get legislation giving the necessary authority, to create Noxious W«eds Boards.— Star.