THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1901.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 157, 1 June 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1901.

NOXIOUS weeds and seeds interest formers Vety considerably— if very unpleasantly. This year the men of the fields will probably be more interested than ever in the, uncomfortable subsubject, -for Parliament in its wisdom passed a u Noxious Weeds Act ** which contains some stringent clauses* For instance, wlren

Tauisl abate on a roafil, or is sister* pected by a road, ffea land, far the purpose off keeping it clear off weeds', is coastdered ag ©xteodirg to tba middle off tbe road. Tbws ©very owner off land is liable to keep the. boundary read or roads intersecting bis land clear off noxious weeds to tbe mtddlo I thereof. Any city or borough eotmcilj, town board, road board, or connty council may declare that all or any of the following are noxious weeds: —Bathurst I burr, broom, giant burdock* gorse, bakes, ragwort or ragweed, being' the weeds named in tbe second schedule of the Act. This is in addition to blackberry.Canadian or Californian thistk* and sweet briar, which the first schedule to the Act declares to bo always noxious, weeds everywhere throughout the colony. Every : person commits an offence who j knowingly sows, sells, or offers | for sale (a) any' noxious seeds [ (except gorse seed to be used tor j'forage, fodder, or fences, and sold jby permission in writing- off the local authority) t (b) any : grass seed or other seed or gram which has not been i thoroughly dressed by means of I a seed-cleaning machine or other | sufficient process for the purpose iof removing all noxious seeds. | The following are declared to be ' noxious seeds :—Bathurst burr* ! blackberry, broom, burdock, burr I clovers, clover dodder, dock, fat | hen or white goosefoot, gorse, I ox-eye daisy, svieetbriar, thistles ; (any species of stemless, Scotch,' ! Californian, star, or milk thistles), wild turnip, ragwort or ragweed. Every person owning.or being in charge of a. threshing machine, i clover dresser, or ehaftcattor i which is used on more farms I than on© commits an offence, iff ; he fails to thoroughly clear out

such machine immediately after using at each farm ami before removieg such machine or any pkrt thereof to another farm* Every occupier of land must effectually clear It of noxious weeds —that is, the weeds named in the first schedule as mentioned above, and also of those mentioned i« the second schedule if the local authority declares them noxious weeds. Minute directions are given in Section as to wfiat mast be done to comply with the order to “ clear” the.land, the gist of which wo give farther on. When land is held on lease the occupier may recover from the owner of the land a proportion of the expense of clearing to the extent following, that is to say : —■ (1) One-fourth of the total amount of such expenses where the miexpired term of the lease is not less than four years; (2) where such nnospired term is then less than four years, such proportion of the aforesaid total | amount as, in the absence of ■agreement between the parties, ; is fixed by a stipendiary magistrate. Local authorities must : clear the land under their control. It is a sufficient defence to a prosecution for selling nndressed seeds that the purchaser knew they were nndressed. To comply with the clause providing for tho” cleaning of machines it is enough if the machine be thoroughly swept down, the second-dressing riddle removed and cleaned, the screen opened, the slide below the grain-elevator taken out ami the grain and rubbish removed, and the machine run till empty. To “clear” Kind in compliance with the Act it is necessary , to carry out the following works to the satisfaction of the Inspector: —(1/ In respect of hedges or live fences consisting of gorse, broom, or bakea, where the hedge or fence abuts on a watercourse (but not otherwise), to trim or cut the same and to remove and destroy the rubbish resulting from the work, whether the same are noxious weeds or not. (2) In respect of hedges or live fences consisting of noxious weeds, being sweetbriar or blackberry, to trim and cut the same at the proper season of the year and remove and destroy all refuse resulting from the work. (3) In respect of noxious weeds, being sweetbriar or blackberry, and also gorse, broom, or hakea, wherever the same are declared to be noxious weeds by any local authority, and not forming portion of a hedge or live fence(a) where such weeds are in small patches, to dear the same at the proper season of the year } (bj in all other cases to dear the same at the proper season of the year along the entire length of every boundary fence or boundary line and . on each side of internal fence, water-race, , '®r watercourse to the extent of at

kust a quarter of a chain each \car until the whole is cleared. The Inspector, however, for go oil cause shown, may reduce the .T- ; irh to be cleared down as far ;> an eighth of a chain, and the Minister may, if he think fit, ie , iuco it still more. (4) In roaoecc of other noxious weeds, to clear the same at the proper season of the year. We trust that the measure may give satisfiction and have the desired effect of cleaning and purifying the land. It will, of course, take ’ a goad while to work out, but the measure met with very considerable favour in Parliament, and big;- hopes were indulged in of .nieacy and ultimate success.

N’Ev.'s was received lust evening of dm dust ruction by fire, early that morning, of the Grand Hotel, Auckland. The proprietor was Air Alex- Johnson, formerly of the Queen's Hotel, Oamaro, and earlier a contractor in Wairamte. Mr Johnson's three daughters, Led Kira, aged 14, Eva, aged Id. 3i! d Nina, aged 6, were burnt to death. The little boy, the solo remaining child, was saved, as was Mrs Johnson. We feel that many residents of Waiinate will unity with us in sympathy with •he parents. Mr Johnson will in , v ]didon be a very heavy loser by fhe tire. The destruction of L he eei’.rents of the hotel was very a'.pA. v.hlch, shutting olf exit hf Lb- main aud back stairways, imi)i irii >;;ed all on the second and anper floors. In jumping from vvuviows, many people were’ inured, and were afterwards lanwyod to the hospital. It is >vi..:-,-ted that Mr Hayes. Manager )f die Bank of Australasia, who v . u r: c-.>ppii'.g at the hotel, has also ~.r his life. The Grand was .-.■lccted for the accommodation

-ji die Ducal suite ii> a few weeks’ phue; had the lire then occurred, j... loss of life probably would iave been much more serious, [he Grand is situated in Princes r.reet. iust at the top oc bhortlaud hrest. at a fair elevation, but lorhing extensive. It has io!~ owed so closely on the disastrous lie in "Wellington, chronicled Lewlcme, although fortunately iPuUtwuk-d by loss of life, that he Government would be betteri implored making sure tfuitj ,11 adequate water supply was 1 .vailablo at such times, and that coper means of escape were pro■ided, than for years with.rawing attention from these ah

itiportam Slate requirements by gitatingtor the institution of a* be usurance by the State., which is livadv well provided for hj rivate enterprise. Surely 'the iss of these lamented lives is luiirectly chargeable to neglect f duty by the State. It is time change was made. We intend etnrning to this subject shortly.

swe consider it our duty so to 10, and we must again, though ;\r away, offer to Mr and Mrs Wmson our sincere condolence.