The Northern Advocate Daily WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1937. DEVELOPMENT OF NORTHLAND

Northern Advocate, 31 March 1937, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1937. DEVELOPMENT OF NORTHLAND

Registered tor transmission through the post as a Newspaper.

Paraphrasing the statement of Pope, that the proper study of mankind is man, it may be said that the proper study of the individual is the territory in which he has made his home. It is very doubtful if New Zealanders have made this a general practice. The opinions regarding Northland held by people in other parts of New Zealand indicate very plainly that little attention has been paid to what is unquestionably one of the most important areas of the Dominion. Even Northlanders themselves are not fully seized of the growth, and the possibilities of development, of the eight counties which may be regarded as constituting Northland. We feel, therefore, that they may, with advantage, study facts and figures printed in an-1 other part of today’s “Advocate. We urge our readers to, give earnest thought to the very! comprehensive article that has been compiled; if they do so they will, we venture to think, be fired | with greater enthusiasm for the; favoured area in which they reside. It is a remarkable fact that, though the occupied land in

the eight counties in Northland, consisting of 2,246,177 acres, represents only approximately onetwentieth of the occupied land of the Dominion, it carries approximately one-tenth of all cattle, one-eighth of the dairy cattle, one-tenth of the pigs, and onc-thirty-ninth of the sheep (including lambs) in New Zealand. This is an impressive state of things, especially when it is remembered that the real growth of Northland commenced only in comparatively recent years, and that the great output of butter, pork, frozen meat, wool, etc., lias been taken off land upon which a very small amount • of fertiliser has jt>een used. This provides unmistakable proof of the natural endowment of Northland, which is blessed with a warm and equable climate, a copious and r;regular rainfall, and a soil fertility probably not surpassed in any part of the Dominion. Nature, -however, cannot be expected to continue indefinitely to meet the drain which the primary industries are iriaking upon it, and the use of fertiliser on a scale more in keeping with practice elsewhere must be adopted. Under such , conditions, there is practically no limit to the production of vwhich Northland is capable when its available lands are fully developed. There was a time when people believed that i Northland possessed a large proportion of “poor” country, which would not warrant attempts at cultivation. ' This belief has been proved erroneous, for areas which appeared to be barren have been made to blossom- like the rose. Every reason exists, therefore, why Northlanders should look to the future with confidence. The days of the “roadless North” are ’gone, and there exists today every, facility for transport. The railway and the highways, with a network of feeder roads, the standard of which is being steadily -improved, make motor traffic easy, while there are few portions _of New Zealand so well served with waterways and harbours, which allow for the economic distribution of farming requirements. The matters to which we have referred, which are dealt with in a very clear and easily understood manner in the article appearing in another column, should be studied by Northlanders, who ought to set out to know as much as possible about their favoured land, and act as publicity agents by making the facts as widely known as possible. In this connection, there may be appropriately coupled the duty of advertising abroad the unsurpassed attractions which Northland has for the tourist as well as the settler.