Soil Conservation

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 5, 3 July 1946, Page 7

Soil Conservation

BKi CAMPAIGN TO OPEN

HUTT ROTARY CLUB’S EFFORT

No more important Subject is exercising the' minds of statesmen and the thinking public throughout the world to-day than that of soil conservation. The great Dust Bowl of America is only one of the many instances where lack of care and planning lias led to disaster and the loss of productivity of the soil. There is no lack of evidence wherever one may turn of the valuable earth being washed into the rivers and out to sea or in some otheh way having its capacity to produce destroyed because no organised effort lias been made to check it. Little New Zealand, though only settled some 100 years, is already showing numerous glaring instances of this criminal neglect. Millions of acres of mother earth have already been lost to us because it has been the concern of nobody to take steps or seek legislation to prevent this colossal economic waste. It is elementary knowledge that all wealth comes from the soil. It therefore follows that if this waste is allowed to continue future generations of New Zealanders must find themselves on a very much lower living standard of life. It will then be too late to take remedial measures. Planting of Native Trees This subject has for some time been closely watched by a special committee of the Rotary Club of Hutt and plans are in train for launching a “Soil Conservation Campaign,’' one phase of which will commence next week with the assist-ance-of three pupils from each' of the 19 schools in the Valley. Although this effort will entail the planting of some 500 native trees it must not be confused with Arbor Day, which will actually take place a little later. On Wednesday next, the representatives of the various schools will be the guests of the Rotary Club at lunch, during which they will listen to a talk given by Mr. E. Hutt, Director of Reserves to th'cr Lower Hutt City Council, and this, it is confidently hoped, will be the start of a great movement to preserve the wealth of the country, bearing the slogan, “Torday’s Youth Plants Tomorrow's Trees.’’ Procession to Naenae After lunch a procession of cars and lorries wm he formed, hearing the school banners and slogan and led bv the Hutt Valley High School hand.. The scholars and the Rotarians (each of whom is allotted a definite task) will be conveyed to the planting ground at Naenae. The wealth of the" s.oil is the source ojf life of every individual regardless of occupation and it should be the duty of every individual to preserve it.