DRIFT SAND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 281, 10 September 1889, Page 2

DRIFT SAND.

(Hansard). s Mf Hutchison ask'eiT'the Minister' of Lands if lie will consider the desirability of terminating, at the earliest praotical date, these leases of tha crown lands alonu the west coast of tKe Worth Island which consist mainly now of drift sand, for the purpose of enolosing such lands for such time as will suffice for vegeta tation to bind the sand, and thus improve the imblie estate, while preventing the loss of adjoining private lands ; and, further, if the Minister will consider the propriety of introducing legislation to constrain owuers of land on which there may be drift sand from pemitting damage to their neighbours? fome years ago the Government had leased cer tain Crown lands along the west coast • f the North Island, as he was informed, without any restrictions, and the result had been that the sand hills, which had been bound, for the most port, by natural vegetation, had now become alive and were tra • veiling inland. He put the question to the end that the' Government might determine the leases as soon as possible, and have the lands closed, at any rate for a time. With regard to artificial methods of binding the sand, he would mentiou that very successful experiments had been made by Mr John Handley, of Okehu, who had suffered from the inroads of the sand on his property, and had gone to the trouble of planting some ten acres wi'h Arundo arena riug f or sand-reed, and in a year or two his land had been reclaimed from devastation He (Mr Hutchinson) was informed that after the first season the land was fit to receive artificial grasses or to be laid out in plantations. The sand-reed was a most prolific? plant, and the seed was not expensive to procure. The last part of the question was directed to the more serious question of legislation, and lie could n t expect the Minister tp do more than promise that the Govern _ mcnt would consider the matter. Mr G. F. Bichardson, aaid the question opened up a large and im portaut matter. These : drifting sauds were not only on the west coast of the North Island, but existed from the extreme north to the extreme sou h ot the oolony, more or less. Efforts have been made in different d rections to prevent the drifting of sand, and in certain cases at a considerable amount of expense, fairly successful experiments had been carried out ; but to deal with the whole range of the coasts meant a very large raattor t Hehnd in quired into the leases refetred to, and found ihfit most of them had been made for. tweuty-one years; but he would look further into 'th< matter, and see, what could be done. With regard to' the latter part of the question, the Government would give it careful consideration ; but it was a question which would have to be dealt with very oarefully, and by no meant in * hurried manner.