THE TAWHINAU NUISANCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10283, 11 July 1911, Page 5

THE TAWHINAU NUISANCE.

IN WAIHOKI VALLEY. A SETTLER'S GRIEVANCE. Mr Charles Smith, of Waihokii VaL ley, .writes as follows to the Wairarapa Age:—"Just a few remarks regarding the spread of tawhinau. It is about two years ago that the Masterton County Council was written, to, asking it-hem to compel the Settlers to take steps to prevent the spread cf the plant. The OoiiLd], however, flatly refused to take' action. Consequently,' the settlers of this district, with the exception of two> or .three, sent a petition to the Lands Department, requesting the Government to amend the Noxious Weeds Act rim the direction, of compelling settlers to work in the direction of eradicating tawhinau instead of cultivativ'g.'iit, rs some were doing and are still doing. The Government •authorities, in their wisdom, simply referred the settlers to therir local governing .body. / r the adage goes, "Ask for fish, anii \ou will got a serpent." Well, as time went on the Government authorities were written to in regard to this nuisance, and, strange to say, they cent an official of the Stock Department to my district to collect evidence on the matter. lam in the position to verify that this official went thoroughly over the holdings affected, and there is every reason to ibelieve that he did his duty without fear or favour. But as soon as sufficient time, had ■olapsed for his report to go hi, the authorities communicated to the settler who* liad written, and advised him to agitate to get men on the Council who would force the settlers to discontinue cultivating tawhina.u. Well, my answer to that-is this, "Let the Government wipe out that relic of barbarism, via., the plural vote, in County elections, and when that is done it will be an easy matter for bona fide settlers, instead of petty land .sharks, to get represented on the local governing bodies. lam one of the many who believe that the •time is not far distant when a straight-out Labour party will be strong enough to seize the reins,of the Legislature and sweep , away tnese 'political quacks' that are now pestering, free and. _ right-thinking people of this Dominion."