The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1941 Save The Soil

Northern Advocate, 4 September 1941, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1941 Save The Soil

THE desire of the House of Representatives to facilitate the passage of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Erosion Bill brought down by the Government is indeed cheering. It. shows that the people’s representatives, irrespective of party, are anxious to prevent, if that be possible, further waste of the Dominion’s paramount asset —its soil. It is true that the stable door has been left open too long, but many valuable steeds have not yet escaped, and the attempt to close the door is therefore commendable. Soil that has been washed into the sea as a result, primarily, of the destruction of the bush and vegetation which once clothed tin* high and steep lands of the Dominion, represents a total of lamentable dimensions. It can never be replaced. The future productivity oi New Zealand has therefore been irrevocably reduced. It is imperative, however, that further loss should lie minimised. This calls for nationwide effort backed by, and led by, the State. Recognising the force of this fact, Parliament set up a select committee, representative of all parties, to consider a Bill mainly designed to control rivers and thus stop soil erosion which has been occurring on ;i huge scale. Jt is generally believed that the attempt to control rivers is to a large extent merely an effort to deal with the effect rather than the cause of soil erosion. This is a fact, for so long as high lands remain uncovered so long will occur the floods which carry with them ever-increasing quantities of soil. However, it is urgently necessary to stop the immediate loss of soil on a large scale by the carrying away of river hanks. The attempt to deal with this aspect of the ease is therefore to he applauded. Contemporaneously with the cheeking of river erosion must go a movement to remove the primal cause of soil erosion, which, it not stopped soon, will place New Zealand in a position more unenviable than that in which large portions of the United States are placed today. And the United States, it should he remembered, is suffering the fate which befell ancient lands whose inhabitants, moved by ignorance and cupidity, destroyed their heritage for the sake of immediate gain. It 'is to he hoped that nothing will he allowed to stop the movement, aimed at coming to grips with a national menace, llie Minister for Public Works, referring yesterday to suggestions that the Soil Erosion Bill should he shelved for a time in order to allow local bodies and others to consider the whole matter, declared that such delay should not he permit ted, for no matter how long the introduction of legislation was postponed, some Rip van Winkles might be expected to wake up and say that they had never had a chance to consider the matter. Indifference and procrastination have ruled far 100 long, and. as a member of the Opposition said yesterday, “the subject of river erosion has been neglected until today. The question is whether we are going to preserve land for future generations or see vast areas washed away into the sea. That, is the position in a nutshell. It is fitting that tribute should he paid to the efforts which the North Auckland Forest Society is making, not. only to arouse interest in the subject of soil erosion, but to save from destruction the pathetic remnant of the forests which constituted nature’s greatest gift to this territory. Largely as a result of the interest taken by the society, there has been preserved as a Stale reserve an area ol native hush on the Kiripaka Road, while the Government has been urged to secure another hush adjoining. This contains a large quantity of kauri rika. The trees are young, relatively speaking, hut they have attained substantial size in some eases, and. accordingly, represent a good start in the regeneration of a kauri forest. The money value of the area, so far as timber is concerned, is insignificant today, compared with a century or more hence, but the need for preservation of the area is to he learned from the fact that Japan, which did not begin afforestation until some 75 years ago, when New Zealanders were using fire and axe to destroy an irreplaceable inheritance, is today exporting timber to this country. The moral of this is obvious. The Kiripaka hush, if preserved, while possessing‘incalculable scenic charm for generations to come, will in the long years ahead he a source of material wealth to the Dominion. Surely these considerations strengthen the claim of the Forest Society that axe or fire should he prevented from repeating the disastrous folly committed throughout the country in days gone by.