DETERIORATION OF LAND

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 April 1929, Page 5

DETERIORATION OF LAND

SERIOUS POSITION IN CANTERBURY. Statements that land in Canterbury was deteriorating at tin ala ruling pace were made at a meeting of tlie North Canterbury provincial executive ot tne New Zealand Fa miens ’ Union on Wednesday. It was decided to support a proposal to set up a Deteriorated Lands Board, the majority ot members of tiie board to be representatives of the fanners. The subject came up when a report of the Dominion president or the Farmers’. Union (Air. W. J.. Poison) was read. The report stated that the main tiling w.aS' to get a system established jtie would recommend that there be created one or more Land Settlement and Deteriorated Land. Boards, to be composed ol specially selected men who would be appointed oy the Uovernment, although it was not necessary that they be Cavil Servants. The hoards should nave authority to decide wnat was deteriorated or deteriorating land, to classny such areas, to create the machinery tor handling and settling it, to malee the necessary recommendations to tne Government or Parliament for tin a lice, and to have authority to administer such lands, and make regulations for such a purpose, subject to the approval ot the Minister. •T doubt if halt the farmers of Canterbury know what ragwort is,” said Mr. I>. J. Tlawke (Malvern), in speaking on the subject. He said that tins peat would creep down on the plains Horn file hills. Nothing was being done to cheek the spread of Californian thistle, and blackberry was also spreading. tiie men wno occupied big tracts ol land were doing nothing to check tnese growths. Hundreds or acres were going back every day. tie could point out properties mat nacl gone bacic LB and £4 an acre during me past five years. 'Hits' meant that rates were going back and that production was decreasing. Back in the lull country blackberry was spreading by the acre, added Air. Hawke. He hoped that the Government would do something by forcing the subdivision of properties. Fie urged the Farmers’ Union to do something to keep the hill country from becoming a mass of weeds. . Mr. J. D. Half said that Air. u. Livingston, who reported on the subject with Air. Poison, had said that half tne trouble was caused by inefficient control by Land Boards. Land was deteriorating in Canterbury to-day' at ail alarming pace, it was not only tag' wort, blackberry and Californian thistle that were causing concern, but there was also twitch, which was worse than he had seen it for years. The union should stick out for representation ol Farmers’ Unions on tho bom cl.