DETERIORATED LANDS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 135, 4 March 1929, Page 3

DETERIORATED LANDS

EXTENSIVE PRODUCTIVE SCHEME GIFT LANDS AND SUBSIDIES ■ Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, March 2. “I would recommend the creation of one or more Land Settlement and Deteriorated Land Boards to be composed of specially selected men to be appointed by the Government,” stated a report by the Dominion president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Mr. W.- J. Polson, M.P.), in a.report to the union on deteriorated lands. The report was endorsed at to-day’s meeting of the Manawatu branch, when a copy was received for consideration. The board should have authority to decide what was deteriorated or deteriorating land, to classify such areas, to create the machinery for handling and settling it, to make the necessary recommendations to Government or Parliament for finance and to have authority to administer such lands and make regulations for such a purpose, subject to the approval of the Minister, stated the report. “National Importance.” Previous mistakes were not discussed in the report, although criticism was levelled at the non-practical composition of advisors to deal with the question. In New Newland there was tin area of land, distributed over a great deal of the North Island and a-good deal of the South, upon which millions, of pounds had been spent in denuding it of bush, sowing and subdividing it, and which to-day was going back into fern and second growth. What should be done with this land, and the settlers on it, should be considered, was a question of national policy, Mr. Polson stated. He asked if the land were to be abandoned or was it of national importance for the Government to come to the aid of the settlers? “I am satisfied that if we are to stimulate production and increase our exports, we must' attend to these deteriorated areas.” stated the report. “Figures obtained n few yenrs buck showed that deterioration affected as much as 25 per cent, of the area of some districts in the North Island, and the Year Book figures fail to disguise the fact that during the past five years land has been going back into fern and second growth to the extent of some 100.000 acres a year. We must not forget that 95 per cent, of the exports of this Dominion are primary, and that until we create a sound foundation of primary industries we cannot successfully build the superstructure of secondary industries so essential to every community which aspires to be self-supporting and self-contained. I can conceive of no surer wav to build up a greater export trade than to restore the usefulness!of the great area of land which has now become practically non-producing.” Board’s Operations. Credit was given to the Hon. G, W. Forbes, the new Minister of Lands, for an earnest endeavour to elucidate the problem. The proposed board would be comprised of practical men, the report stated, who would classify the land. The board would decide after proper consideration what land upon which it would be an unsound economic proposition to spend further effort, and in respect to the rest, whether it should be farmed or used for afforestation. If such land were to be farmed the board would decide for what class of farmins it was best

suited, what treatment it should receive, and what pasture would suit it. What expenditure would be necessary to induce settlers to tackle it would be the next question. In the .worst cases it might be necessary hot only to make a gift of the land, but also to create and maintain reading and grant fertiliser subsidies for a period of years. In other cases less important concessions might suffice. All were questions which only a practical body with a full knowledge of the circumstances could settle. ; •Financial Aspect. “The second important question which such a board should have power to handle is finance,” the report continued. “Special provision would require to be s made for reasonable and liberal finance, for many of these settlers. A Government subsidy would probably be required to enable the interest rate to be sufficiently cheapened. The classification of the land (vould decide the amount of assistance the settler would be entitled to receive. There would require to be stringent conditions regarding residence, improvements, and where the land will carry it, subsequent and ultimate payments. “Such a board would require to have the right to call upon the Agricultural Department for assistance and to work in conjunction with the Rural Advances Department for assistance by passing on and recommending cases for special consideration by the herding branch. It would also need to have a very practical arrangement with the Lands Department, and par--1 ticularly with the soldier settlement ■branch.” In moving that the branch should endorse the report, Mr. O. P. Lynch, the chairman, said that it would do no harm; perhaps good would come of it. , , Mr. J. Livingston, a member of the executive, also submitted a lengthy review on the activities of the Government in regard to this matter in former years.