MR. BEAUCHAMP IN THERMALIA

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 78, 2 April 1914, Page 6

MR. BEAUCHAMP IN THERMALIA

Every now and again one of our public men rediscovers the pumice lands, and the latest of these is Mr. Harold Beauchamp, who, backed by a Government fruit expert, bears testimony to the fruit-growing capacity of the Taupo soil. Somewhat over a year ago the possibilities of the three or four million acres of, pumice lands in the hea.rfc of this island were dealt with in a series of articles in The Post, which were reinforced by a favourable opinion given by the Prime Minister, as a practical farmer. Mr. Massey predicted that, given cheap fertilisers— which stipulation means cheap transport— the pumice prail-ieswill one day, under pasture, carry a large population. They are easily ploughable and amenable to cultivation. Excellent i results have attended the scientific ' handling of similar Jand near Lichfield. And the Government chemist, Mr. 13. | C. Aston, and other State experts have j given opinions strongly confirmatory of their great potentialities if suitably manured and cultivated. To this evidence must now be added the highlyfavourable estimate of Mr. Boucher, supported by Mr. Beauchamp, and which includes apples among the potential assets of the pumice lands. Fruit-culture is becoming doubly valuable to New Zealand in that it is not only helping us into a new export market but is providing a use for what have been regarded as our poorer soils. How valuable these may become under fruit-trees has been proved at the Government Experimental Farm at Waerenga, also on tho gum iands farther north. This development has no doubt affected the determination to re-classify the kauri gum reserves, a work entrusted by the Government to a special commission. The utilisation of the huge pumice heart of the island for pasture, fruitgrowing, or other purpose of primai-y production has a special appeal to New Zealand, for in that region is found the greatest area of unused flat land that remains in the country. Of the several million acres of unoccupied Native land, the bulk is round Taaipo and Eotorua. Mr. Ngata has complained that while j the Government and private speculators are alert to pick the eyes out of what remains of the Maori estate, there is comparatively little competition for the surplus Native lands in the thertnal districts. There is, nevertheless, good ground to hope that ultimately those parts will witness remarkable development, and as they provide ample scope for it, the Maori, the settler, and also the country in general will vastly profit. Mile 'upon mile of treeless and homeless plains, rising in steppes from the great river valleys, for long distances level as a, billiard-table, will become dotted with settlers' cottages. What is needed to start the movement is a successful demonstration on a large, scale that the interior prairies can be made profitable by cheap fertilisers, and this presupposes railway transport. In recognition of the value of utilising such a huge waste asset, unused through lack of access, The Post took the stand that, failing a State railway, the Government should allow the Taupo Totara Compa.ny to extend its private line. That permission was given, and if the company succeeds in raising, under last year's Order-in-Council, the capital to complete its light railway to Taupo, we think that a definite forward movement will begin. Meanwhile, testimony to the great possibilities of the district by observant men like Mr. Beauchamp helps a, big undertaking like this. Abundant evidence is available that the amount of land offering publicly and privately does not meet the earth-hunger, and a demonstration of the practicability of pumicefarming in moderate-sized blocks would go a long way towards providing a large area of reasonably-priced land to supply the unsatisfied demand of legitimate ' settlement.