DETERIORATED LAND.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19910, 23 April 1930, Page 10

DETERIORATED LAND.

GRANTS FOR IMPROVEMENT LEGISLATION EXPLAINED. (razss ASSOCIATION n&ZOBAU-) STRATFORD, April 22. "1 find,'? said the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) in an interview to-day, "that people are not very well informed as to what the Government is prepared to do in the way of advances to Crown tenants." The previous Government, said Mr Ransom, had found it necessary to make special provision for men on deteriorated land, and the present Government thought it its duty to find out vhy so much land was going back to second growth. As regards men who had cleared land and found it going back to second growth, a measure of relief had been provided by giving a rebate of rent for ten years provided the occupier spent, a sum equal to the rent on fertilisers. He had seen places where this provision had been availed of and the land was gradually being brought back. Recognising that it was not wise to let land go back, the Government last session passed legislation which it was hoped would stop tho progress of deterioration. It was found t in most cases that land went back chiefly from lack of capital. Crown land usually was taken up by men without capital or very little, and they generally found themselves at tho end of their resources when their land lost its fertility arising from "burns. The Government felt something should be done to enable such men to got advances on improvements and legislative authority wiis obtained for borrowing £5,000,000 to bo devoted by the Lands Department to Crown tenants on improvements made. Any Crown tenant who can show permanent improvement is entitled to an advance of 90 per cent, of its value; if that advance is spent on improvements a further advance of 90 per cent, of the value can bo procured, and advancea can be drawn till the occupier hais had advances totalling £1260. Advancea on this basis could not be obtained from ordinary lending institutions or from the Advances Office. So far tho provision had not been availed of as much as it might bo. The Government's desire was to help tho genuine "trier" and give him assistance in this work. Invariably second growth was a feature of places with high rainfall. Fertilising and the heavy stocking that it made possible kept the second growth down. At the Guthrie Settlement on pumioo land at Atiamuri, near Rotorua, tonants were given up to 200 acres and were required to make certain improvements for six years. If the improvements were duly made they were to be given a title to the land. After three years on the land in the settlement the occupiers seemed to have exhausted their capital resources and they had nothing to offer as security iii ordinary borrowing channels. The Government's recent legislation would enable these settlers to get advances on theft - improvements, and some had made improvements to a considerable value. At the end of sx years advances would be on a charge on the land, but the settlers should not object to that. *