THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 6

THE WEEK

BEEF FROM THE HILLS Mr Nash sailed on unfamiliar waters when he talked of using the high country as the basis of a Chiilea beef trade during his contribution to the Imprest Supply Bill in the House of Representatives last week, but there should be a grain of hope to South Island high country farmers in his acceptance of the fact that any development of high country would “cost the Government some money.” On many North Island areas it should at least be possible to produce store stock that could be turned into chilled beef economically, and some South Island country could also be used in the same way, but over most of the South Island high country, Government money could be turned to better and less risky account. The community is faced in the not too distant future with making up its mind whether it wants the high country, kept in production or not. At present, many runs are occupied by men who are there only because they cannot sell out at a figure which would allow them any return for years of faithful stewardship of a national asset. Many of them are at an age yvhen their work is beyond their capacity, but they can see no young men coming forward to take their places, and, thus, must hang on. The situation will eventually be reached when the choice before the community as a whole will lie between leaving the land unoccupied, or leasing it to someone who will pay nothing for improvements, but will pay the rent during a run of good years, and take more out of the country than it can stand. Abandonment would bring obvious troubles t which it would be expensive to obviate. Anything but the most prudent and competent management would be at least as expensive in terms of the damage that would be done. A new and radical approach is needed towards South Island high country, and undoubtedly to North Island high country as well. To begin with, tenure of high country runs must be completely overhauled. The State, and others interested in high country rents, must be brought to the realisation that the day is long past when their only responsibility is for revenue from these rents. In the main, South Island high country has been handled well by three generations of occupiers. It is true that there has been damage to the country in many cases, but too many critics are blind to the truth that much of this damage was unpredictable when what were considered to be appropriate management measures were taken in good faith, in the light of the knowledge available at the time. At present, South Island high country is administered, broadly, by land boards, on which high country men are extremely sparsely represented, and by the Lands Department, and other lessors who are bound .to look more to revenue than the general welfare of a unique productive area. An additional complication in recent years is that lessors, boards, occupiers, and the department have been having their elbows jogged by catchment boards, whose interest is more usually in possible erosion damage to lower country than in the welfare of the occupier of high country. The ability to manage high country is a skill which few men possess. It is probably as high as any farming skill, and few men are born. with the gift. It can be assumed that the great majority of the men at present in occupation of South Island high country, and of the men who work in the high country, are highly skilled in its management. They understand the needs and the potentialities of high country. Mr Nash would do well to mobilise this skill and seek advice from high-country men before embarking on any scheme of spending public money on a public asset that is now in grave danger of becoming a public liability. An obvious first move would be to create boards, consisting of high-country men. to advise on high-country needs, or, better still, to administer the high country. Mr Nash’s chillers from the hills may turn out to be too expensive to be practical, but his interest in a section of the farming community that is faced with something approaching extermination will be very welcome.