DRAINING SWAMP LANDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 10 April 1922, Page 2

DRAINING SWAMP LANDS

FXTR A 0 R D IN’ ARV SUCCESS AT HANGITATKi (United Press Association) ! W HAKATANE, April 7. The Minister of Lands (the Hon. I), H. Guthrie), accompanied hy Air Thompson, Under-Secretary; Air Brodrick, ex-Under-Secretary arid Air Sfceat, Crown 5 Lands Department, arrived last evening, after having inspected the Rangitaiki drainage works ami the soldier settlements on drainage lands. The '.Minister sa id ho was impressed on his last visit by the extraordinary success- of the work pf drainage, and was doubly impressed This time. Great devclbpme nt would take.. place; ; there was a vast future before the plains and the natural port of AVHakatane. The soldiers’ settlements were all very satisfactory, and greatly pleased hiin. Tbo drainage of the Rangitaiki, Hanraid, Waihi, and Te Puke swamps was an object lesson to the Dominion, but only a portion of the lands would be drained . .There was the problem of the irrigation of Central Otago, the development of pumice lands, which was a promising field of experiment, and the gumlands, the treatment of which had already been mastered by the'Department, the draining of Hikilrangi, Ivaitaia, audit was hoped, also of 50,000 acres in the South Island. f iho war had doubled the national debt, and the only way to carry it Was to use the other half of the Dominion lands .which' were how unproductive and double the production in order to relieve the shoulders that cafrv the taxes. • : The Urewera portion of the land, now on the market, would soon be' a great stock-raising area, bu'fc some of it would suit for dairying purposes and help to pay the debt incurred, reserving at the same time ■ adequate forest areas Tbo Minister paid a high compliment to Air Thompson, chief drainage engineer, for his skill juul phiek in handling the big drainage problems \ Mr Skeat mentioned that Air Thompson drained the peaks against the Department’s advice, which said it could not be done. Tbo party left for the AVaibi swamp, Rotorua, Reparoa, and Waiotapn.