A DANGER

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1919, Page 7

A DANGER

To the Editor. Sir—l would like to know what the weed inspectors are doing. It seems to me a perfect iarce to have to pay such officials when you see ragwort, blackberry, etc., staring you in the face in all directions. I notice on some of the side roads blackberry stringers, loaded with ripe blackberries, have reached the wheel marks. Live stock travelling on such roads pick up the seeds in their feet and carry them on to some clean farm in the back country, where in time it will spread to such an extent fliat it will drive the pioneer settler out of house and home, as it is a difficult matter to keep such a weed from spreading rapidly in hilly country. The local bodies are very neglectful in not compelling the property owners to attend to the clearing of weeds before they go to seed. There should be a standing order to foremen of roads to j clear all weeds that property owners | have neglected after a certain date, say a.bout middle of January. Local bodies should see that inspectors are more prompt in action. Particular notice should be taken that weeds in seed are burned or buried as soon as cut and not left in heaps to ripon and be blown or carried over the country. A very frequent excuse given for inattention to weeds is that settlers can't get labor to attend to such work when at the same time they l are seizing every opportunity to spend time working for others when a good wage is offered. — I art, etc., A WEED HATER, Tariki, March 17, 1919.