BEATEN BY FESCUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 88, 14 April 1927, Page 17

BEATEN BY FESCUE.

ORONGO BLOCK SETTLERS.

" FARMING IMPOSSIBLE." FISKSH LAND WANTED. il!y Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) TURUA, Wednesday. Fighting a hopeless uphill battle agraiiist the aihancc of fescue weed, the soldier settlors of the Orongo block tind themselves to-day in a plight far worse than any of their neighbours on the whole of the Hauraki Plains. The block comprises approximately .1000 acres, and is situated on the most northern end of the plains. The estate was opened in 1!>20, and sections at the first ballot were priced nt from f."»ft to £(i'i an acre, without provision for a water supply. The areas of the sections varied from ?>1 to f>o acres. At the second ballot sections were priced at from £41 to £">S, and the areas varied from 44 to ;V2 acres. The first-ballot land was mostly rough feed and wornout pasture. The second ballot land was a sea of fescue. The grass was heavily infested with ergot, and the grass itself was deficient in nourishment. Ploughing Futile. The Lands Department ploughed the sections with tractors, four years being occupied in this work, but the only effect was to increase the quantity of fescue. Hefure one season had passed fescue had taken the upper hand, with the result that the mortality among cows was from 20 to :">0 per cent. The second-ballot men say that farmin.; is impossible, on such land. Already live settlers have walked off. Floods have occurred every year. Settlers who have put jrrass in with manure and topdressed the ground, have failed to improve their holdings. A Commissioner recommended that the Department plough ami fallow the land, but that failed.

'Up to their Eyes in Debt." This, morning the settlors told the Ministers of Lands and Public Works their trouble* during an inspection of i lie block. "They are np to their eyes in debt to the Department and to private linns,"' said Mr Krnest Walton, the roiuity chairman, in explaining the position. ••Their stock is diminishing. and this year will see most of them off. They ask to be put on fresh land and re-tarted, and that the Government bear the cost. Several who have dependents cannot leave till they have somewhere to go. The first-ballot men, who paid boom prices for their improvements, had to light the fescue menace from the beginning. This, with flooding and tie want of proper drainage, has caused them to suffer a mortality in their stock of 10 to X\ per cent.*' Revaluation Asked. The first-ballot men asked: (a) That individual holdings be doubled to permit a living to be made; (b) that financial aid be given and arrears of interest and rent be written off: (e) that the land be revalued and reduced ."•0 per cent in value; (dl that current accounts advances be written off as to .")0 per cent. The Minister of Lands said he would consider the request. Minister's Reply. The Hon. A. 1). MoLeod said: 'T quite admit we are up against a dead-end if we write the money otf and still don't get the land settled. There are still one or two men cut side the fence who say the fescue can be taken off yet. (Ironical laughter.! "I dare not admit you have tho right to ask me to shift you on to other land. I tell you straight, there is no great 'catch' in any other unoccupied sections available. The acting-chairman of the Revaluation Board and tho Coniraissionr of Crown Lands will come- here and go into the question on the spot and .make a definite decision. Men Who Walked Off. Questioned concerning tho granting of clear discharges to the men who walked otT liojk>lcss holdings, Mr. McLeod said the Audit Department would give any man a clearance once he had established that he had nothing "'under the clock. - '