The Northern Advocate Daily THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1936. LAND UTILISATION

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1936, Page 6

The Northern Advocate Daily

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1936. LAND UTILISATION

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper.

An American authority recently asserted that the main impetus to land settlement in the United States had been speculation, not production. Laud that was rich enough to yield a profitable return when first opened up by the pioneer was not rich enough to support production when sold to

subsequent holders at an inflated j value. Similar forces have influenced New Zealand development. The report of the Dairy, and other commissions, showed that a great part of our land is over-capitalised. The adjustment of farmers’ debts is really {in adjustment of land values. But the problems of land utilisation in new countries are so varied that the co-ordination of many services is necessary to ensure success and to eliminate the failures so costly to the community, and so disheartening to the settler. The shock troops of efficient development are the geographer, the geologist and the meteorologist. They alone can accurately determine the inherent qualities of the soil to withstand continued exploitation, the suitability of selected areas for settlement, and the normal and extremes of climate, rainfall and general conditions of environment over prolonged periods. The Soil Survey which is now being undertaken in North Auckland, will, for the first time, give us reliable data as to the peculiar potentialities which each district in our area offers.* Such work is of the greatest importance, but it is directive, not constructive. The scientists merely indicate conditions and possibilities. Development depends less on adapting conditions to the desired forms of production than on adapting production methods to the conditions available. The flocks and herds raised in New Zealand today are vastly different from the types originally imported by the pionefers of primary industries. . New types have been evolved only by extensive experiment, research and careful breeding. By the evolution of new types and by the prudent use of fertiliser, production has become possible on land that previously bad little or no value, and such satisfactory results have been obtained that similar success may be expected in- future from land of limited production today. Transport has been a dominant factor’ in rural development of new countries. In Northland, so well served with flue natural harbours, settlement sprang up near the sea coast, and it is only within the past decade or so that improved internal reading, has fully extended the span of progress. In New Zealand as a whole, where there are few; navigable rivers, the railways have been all-important. Partly because they are State enterprises,' they have often anticipated development. Selection has then followed the iron "way, poorer land '.nearer the railway being more valuable than better land where transport services were not available. The railway cannot wander about the countryside to serve the best land for selection, so that it has been left to the provision of better .roads and motor transport to open up many highly productive areas, as in the North, where development has been retarded by transport disabilities.

A somewhat obscure but serious problem of land utilisation in New Zealand concerns holdings suitable for more than one form of production. When wool prices slumped in the depression many farmers -were able to turn their attention to dairyfarming'. Wool prices recovered and many of them returned to, grazing again. Such adaptability of production is of inestimable value to the individual and to the nation alike; but it raises one serious issue that has received less attention than it deserves. Land so used is likely to acquire a higher value than land that is only suitable for one purpose, though the productivity of both for one purpose may only be the same. When such land is used for sheep in competition with land only suitable for grazing purposes, the adaptable land may have a higher capital value and a lower margin of profit. Superficially, this may seem unimportant, but New Zealand’s capacity to compete in the world’s markets depends on the keeping down of production costs, which is difficult when land values are inflated by the inherent quality of adaptability, which may very rarely be employed. It is impossible- to do more than indicate the scope of such a vast problem as land utilisation, but it is gratifying to know ’ that soil surveys have commenced in Northland and are contemplated in other parts of New Zealand, and that valuable research is in progress at scientific institutions. The results obtained should materially increase efficiency in primary production' and lighten the burden of the practical man on the land.