THE UTILISATION OF DETERIORATED LANDS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6850, 4 March 1929, Page 10

THE UTILISATION OF DETERIORATED LANDS

A Vita! Question

MR POLSON RECOMMENDS FORMING SPECIAL BOARD

REPORT TO FARMERS’ UNION. An important report on the question of deteriorated lands has been drawn up by Mr. AV. J. Poison, M.P., Dominion president of the New Zealand Farmers’ union. A copy of this report was laid on the tablo at a meeting of the Manawatu provincial branch executive of the union which was held on Saturday in Palmerston North. The text of the report is contained in the following recommendation with which Mr Poison concludes: —

“I recommend therefore the creation of one or more land settlement and deteriorated land hoards, to he composed of specially selected men to he appointed hy the government, who shall not necessarily he civil servants, and who shall have authority to decide what is deteriorated or deteriorating land, to classify such areas, to create the machinery for handling and settling it, to make the necessary recommendations to the government or to Parliament for finance and to have authority to administer such lands and make regulations for such a purpose, -subject to the approval of the Minis■~ter.”

The Mauawatu executive unanimously decided to endorse this recommendation formulated by Mr Poison and also to have copies of. the report printed and distributed to members. The Dead Past.

“It is no use discussing the mistakes which have been made in the past by putting settlers on land that subsequently turned out unsuitable,” runs the report. “It is equally unprofitable to refer to the mistakes of settlers who, through want of information from the department, or refusal to take advantage of the experience of others, added to their difficulties by bad farming. The fact is, that in New Zealand we have an area of land distributed over a good deal of the North Island and a good deal of the South, upon which millions' of pounds have been spent on denuding it of bush, sowing and subdividing it, and which today, has gone back, or is going back into fern and second growth. What is to he Done? “The questions is—what is to be done with such land and with the settlers upon it? Is it to be abandoned, or is it a matter of such national importance that the government should como to the aid of settlers? “lu my opinion the w'hole question should be considered from the .point of view of national policy. “I am satisfied that if we arc to stimulate production and increase our exports, in order to create greater prosperity in the country, we must attend to these deteriorated areas. Figures obtained a few years back showed that deterioration affected as much as 25 per cent, of the area of some counties in the North Island, and the year book figures fail to disguise the fact that during the last five years, land has been going back into fern and second growth at the rate of 100,000 acres a year.- AA’c must not forget that 05 per cent of the exports of this Dominion are primary, and that until wo create a sound foundation of primary industries, we cannot successfully build the superstructure of secondary industries so essential to every community which aspires to bo self supporting or self contained. I can conceive of no surer way to build up a great export trade than to restore the usefulness of the great area of land which has now become practically non-producing.” Government Conference Will Fail. Mr Poison then proceeds to state that he gives credit to the new Minister of Lands, Hon. G. AV. Forbes, for an earnest endeavour to elucidate the problem but at the same time, he does not consider that the conference of government officials called by the Minister will achieve any satisfactory plan. The conference was mainly composed of commissioners of Crown lands or recruited from the ranks of the Lands and Survey department whence had come so many of the old ideas and shibboleths responsible for producing (ho very conditions with, which they were faced at present. Land Board Required.

"What is really required," says the Dominion ■president, "is a Deteriorated Land and Land for Settlement board, with authority to handle the question nationally and ask Parliament for the necessary grants of money. Such a board, composed of practical men, would first classify the land. It would decide after proper consideration, what land it would be an unsound economic proposition to spend further effort upon and in respect to the rest, whether it should bo farmed or used for afforestation. "If such land is to bo farmed the nest question for the board to decide would naturally be—what class of farming is it best suited for, what treatment should it receive, and what pastures would suit it. The next question would be —what expenditure will be necessary to induce settlers to tackle it. In the worst cases it may be necessary, not only to make a gift of the land but also to create and main-

tain roading and grant fertiliser subsidies for a period of years. In other cases, less important concessions may suffice. All these are questions which only a practical body with a full knowledge of the circumstances could settle. How To Finance.

"The second important question which such a board should have power to handle is finance. Special provision would require to be made for reasonable and liberal finance for many of these settlers. A government subsidy would probably be required to enable tbe interest rate to bo sufficiently cheapened. The classification of the land would decide the amount of assistance the settler would be entitled to receive.

"There would require to be stringent conditions regarding residence, improvements, and where the land will carry it, subsequent and ultimate repayments. Such a board would have the right to call upon the Agricultural repartment for assistance and to work in conjunction with the Itural Advances department by passing on, and recommending cases for special consideration by the lending branch. It would also need to have a *%ery practical arrangement with the Lands department and particularly with the Soldier settlement branch.

"Sir Joseph Ward in his election speeches suggested two Land Settle'

ment boards, one for each island and this may be found a more workable plan than one board. However, that is a matter of detail. The main thing is to get a system established. Attached to Mr Poison’s report Was a further report on North Island conditions by Mr J. Lingston, a member of the Dominion executive of the union.