WAR ON DROUGHTS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11549, 28 January 1932, Page 6

WAR ON DROUGHTS

MORE TREE-PLANTING URGED, BUSINESSMEN’S DISCUSSION

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO INVESTIGATE. ,

Among several important matters discussed at yesterday’s annual meet in" of the. Gisborne Chamber cf Commerce was the' question of some nrovision ngainst the droughts .unSe r which the district Ims suffered during recent years. It wa s agreed that a probable remedy would be more afforestation, and the meeting resolved to make further inquiries in tliis connection. “You nil know that w.o liavo^ ~ series of droughts over the" hmt year or so,” remni'kod Mi’. T. Horftm, who introduced the subject, hir'd many people have stated that wo have only ourselves to bani<‘: Most of our beautiful hush has been removed and very little replacementwork low been carried out. it w « well-known law of _ nature that the more afforestation m a district the «renter the moisture.” Mr. Corson wont- on to say tlini lie’ had recently visited the Rotorua district and there he had noticed U' ; rainfall was much greater than wha it was in Poverty Bay, hvrgey R was considered, on account ot tlm areas of bush. Formerly Gisborne had had a Beautifying Society, bn T . with the death of tbo leading enthusiast. this bod v bad been lost The value of afforestation as a relief work hue been mentioned in the Oftborne Times leader that day. ..t was of q-reat importance to the district and, though lie. hardly knew wnft Urn Chamber could do. it certainly amieared some effort in the matter should he made. . - , .„ Mr G. A. Nichells said tlint fie find intended to bring up He same Mibieet at a later date. People m the" habit o-f flying between Gisborne and Waii-on must have been, greativ struck bv of the attraction h n sh had for rain. In Gisborne I hove was rain on only two davs in October, five in November and six ,n December, vet fiving over the lursh ~( Ylamrapcike dnrino that time ’t was very noticeable how the clouds were drawn down by the hush, somelimes ns much as 2000 ft lower Uian was the cos'* ehewhore. ’l'he difference in rainfall in consenuenee could best he il'iistrated by the fact that one station in the locality, with only U dav s of sliearincr to cut out, was compelled to wait for 14 days be I ore (he sheep were dry enough to '.shear. As hush was out out the rainfall appeared to lessen, and, if this were <o. then the time was eel fnr distant when the district would he vasf.lv more dry than it is now. From the air one could see how harp and barren the country was, with nothing to draw the clouds down, even though 'he c’ouds wore there and there was rain in the back country. This factor was more, noticeable on the East Const, because the winds were generally north-wosterjv. This seemed •i matter on which the Chamber could write to the Forestry Department for a report and also possibly to the Director of Air Services. Mr. Nicholls’ suggestion wars ndop ted and it was decided to make the inquiries be had' indicated.