DEPOPULATION IN RURAL AREAS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24986, 21 September 1946, Page 8

DEPOPULATION IN RURAL AREAS

“Cause For Serious Alarm” URBAN DRIFT CALLED “A BOGY” (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 20. The problem of “urban drift” is characterised as a bogy by the Select Committee on Population in its report to the House of Representatives to-day. The report states that there was a good deal of loose thinking on this subject, but evidence showed that the numbers of people engaged directly in agriculture had increased at a rate only slightly less than the rate of increase of the total occupied population. “The important factor is not the number of people engaged in agriculture, but the actual production of the land,” states the report. In a historical review it shows how labour efficiency has tended to increase and farm techniques to improve. Mechanisation of agriculture, particularly the dairy industry, had resulted in large numbers of people previously working in rural areas now being engaged in urban areas in- the servicing of agriculture—for instance in motor transport, servicing farm machinery, and providing electricity. Statistics were also misleading, according to the committee. Areas with under 1000 population were classified as rural areas, but as soon as their population increased beyond that figure they were called urban.

“The phenomenon of urban drift is world-wide,” states the committee, “and rather than being a sign of decay of agriculture is frequently a sign of its technological progress. The com-

mittee finds that there has not been a decrease in the agricultural population over the Dominion as a whole, but depopulation has begun in certain areas to a disturbing extent. The decline in Otago, particularly, and in Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, and Taranaki to a lesser degree, is cause for serious alarm.” The committee adds that New Zealand had not devoted much attention to the problem of ruraf sociology. Most important factors in the drift from rural areas in these places were probably the attractiveness of urban life and better conditions in many secondary industries. * Survey Recommended The committee recommends that the Government, at an early date, should undertake a comprehensive and continuous survey of the problem of giving the rural community equal consideration with the urban section in the matter of social amenities. Further urgent steps should be taken in providing adequate housing for married couples. A popular impression that there were large tracts of land available in New Zealand for soldiers and other settlers was largely negatived by evidence tendered to the committee. Explaining why it discourages the immigration of agricultural workers, the committee states that, opart from the estimated 8000 former servicemen to be settled on the land, there was no great scope for further agricultural population. The committee found that there were only 24,000 acres still undeveloped which were capable of development. But returned men who wanted to take up farming would require 1,200,000 acres. A very large amount of land already being farmed would therefore have to be bought. • “It would appear that it is very urgent that a detailed and comprehensive survey should be made of the lsnd potential of the Dominion,” continued the report. “From every point of view, a virile agricultural population is vitally necessary.” More Government Servants An interesting section of the report relates to the number of Government employees. It states that in 1921 the number was 42,000, and that by 1936 there had been an increase to 56,000. In 1946 the number was over 99,000, of whom 45,000 were in the Public Service under the Public Service Commissioner, including nearly 13,000 permanent employees, nearly 18,000 temporaries, and over 15,000 casuals. Nearly 27.000 were in the Railways Department, divided almost equally as between permanents and casuals. In the Post and Telegraph Department there were more than 16,000 employees, of whom 11,000 were permanents. There were more than 8000 teachers and 1500 in the Police Force. Local governing bodies had more than 26,000 employees in 1921, compared with more than 42,000 at present Discussing housing, the report endorses the suggestion for the decentralisation of certain types of industry from larger centres to some of the smaller towns, but states that lack of housing accommodation in these areas must seriously retard that development An estimate is given of a shortage of 25,000 houses at present. Taking into account the normal annual demand for houses, it is estimated that to catch up with deficiencies 45.000 houses will have to be built during the next three years. “It will be seen,” states the report, “that any large-scale immigration policy, if implemented during the next two or three years, is likely to embarrass further the housing situation. We must expect to provide, say, one house for every 3.7 immigrants, unless they are children who might be housed elsewhere.”