DETERIORATED LANDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 27 July 1927, Page 7

DETERIORATED LANDS

PROVISIONS OF THE ACT

OUTLYING PORTIONS OF NELSON DISTRICT INCLUDED

INTERVIEW WITH COMMISSIONER. OF CROWN LANDS

The application of the Deteriorated Lands Act in'parts of the Nelson Land District has been fully justified. Ihe word "deteriorated." while useful in a general sense, does not mean that the land, itself is useless. Deteriorated lands are those on which secondary forest, growth has appeared, to Ihe detriment of pasture. The expert committee set up in 1925 to inquire into the subject, pointed out that the use of the word in question should not be taken to implv anv fundamental weakness or defect *in the soil itself. It meant that the land was simply reverting to forest because certain conditions of stocking and working gave the secondary growth a chance to gain a footing and prevail over the introduced grasses. .It quoted intances in which clean and flourishing farms were maintained in the heart of allegedly "deteriorated" country. EXHAUSTION OF FERTILISING ; . AGENCIES The chief recommendations of the committee were close stocking with cattle, subdivision to make concentrated grazing possible and top-dressing. By such' means the growth of fern and other rubbish is checked and the grass enabled to come away freely. The early fertilitv of these lands with the humus of the forest and the ashes of the burn, led to. hasty clearing of bush areas, and it is only in recent years when the fertilising agencies have become exhausted that the trouble has "been so acute. In the course of his remarks at lapawera on Monday last, the Minister of Lands (the Hon.. A. D. McLeod) regretted that some Crown tenants had joined in a worked-up agitation without waiting to see how their claims would fare under the Deteriorated Lands Act.

COMMISSIONER OUTLINES THE ACT A representative of "The Mail" today interviewed the Commissioner oi Crown Lands (Mr A. E. Waters) in reference to the application of the Act in the Nelson Land District. In 1924, said Mr Waters, the attention of the Government was called to the serious position that had arisen in the King'Country of the North Island through the deterioration of pasture lands. Most of the farms in that district had been carved from the Virgin bush .and after the original fertility of the soil had been exhausted the clearings became overgrown with bracken and second growthT The diminished carrying capacity forced dozens of farmers to abandon their holdings and many were faced with ruin. A Royal Commission was set up to investigate the position,' and as a result of their report and recommendations the Deteriorated Lands Act of 1925 was placed on the Statute Book as a means of alleviating the condition of settlers in the deteriorated areas. SPECIAL REVALUATION COMMITTEES

The Act applies only to such areas as may .be proclaimed as being subject thereto and provides for the setting up of Special Revaluation Committees to investigate and report on each application for relief under the Act. The committee revalues the holding of each applicant and may reduce capital values and make such recommendations for remission or postponement of rent or interest as it considers the case warrants. The Act

makes provision for remission of rent up to fifteen years But any recommendation for remission or postponement can only be given effect to with the approval of the Minister of Lands. As each Teport is received it is considered > by the Land Board of the district, which has the power to reduce the rental in accordance with the committee's valuation. The recommendations of the committee with respect to postponements ov remission of rents are considered by the Land Board before being submitted to the Minister for approval. POSITION OP FREEHOLDERS To give relief to freeholders it is farther provided in the Act that advances may be made for the purchase of lime, manure, fencing material or to defray any capital expenditure, but only cm condition that monies so advanced shall be secured by first mortgage over the land.

MR HUDSON'S REPRESENTATIONS

Mr R. P. Hudson, M.P. for Motueka, made strong representations' to the Minister of Lands that portions of his electorate should be brought under the provisions of the Act, stating that conditions as bad as those obtaining in the King Country existed in the backblocks of his electorate'. In April of last year Mr McLeod made a personal tour of the Nelson district visiting in his itinerary many outlying localities, and as the outcome of 'his personal investigation, a large proportion of the settled areas of this district were gazetted as being subject to the Deteriorated Lands Act, The Act provides that applications for relief mav be accepted until the 30th of June, *1926, but that late applications may be received at the discretion of the Minister.

TIME EXTENDED IN NELSON Owing to the delay in proclaiming the areas in the Nelson district the time for the receipt of applications has been extended from time to time and the Minister has expressed his willingness to still consider applications if recommended by the Land Board. A Special Revaluation Committee for the Nelson District was appointed in October last, consisting of Mr ,T. .Stevenson, Commissioner of Crown Lands for Marlborough (chairman), Mr M. Carmichael, District Valuer, Nelson, and Mr A. R. Edwards, Motueka. The. committee commenced field operations in the following month and has since been actively engaged in investigating the various applications for relief. Up to the present they have covered the C'olJingwood, Takaka and most of the Wniinea County, and have practically finished the. Mu'rchison County. The receipt of late, applications has hampered the committee, in the expeditious carrying out of its arduous duties, necessitating as it doe? in many cases a retracting r.f their steps ever the same ground.

FULL SYMPATHY WTTH SETTLER

From the applications already dealt with it is evident that both the Special Revaluation Committee and the Land Board are fully in sympathy with the backblocks settler in his endeavour to force a living from the churlish soil, and have availed themselves of the lib-

eral provisions of the Deteriorated Land Act irv an endeavour to afford him adequate relief. In some cases the rental values have been reduced to less than half and rents remitted for a considerable period.

HEAVILY MORTGAGED HOLDINCS

A serious difficulty arises in the case of holdings that are heavily mortgaged. Endeavours have been made to induce the 'mortgagees to reduce of remit interest,'so as to enable the settler to apply the revenue from his farm in bringing the land back to a state of productivity. In the case of firms which have invested trust money on rural mortgage it is difficult for them to make concessions and in the case of State Advances mortgages, the Superintendent has no power under his Act to make concessions in this direction. It is quite evident, however, from the valuations received that in many cases the mortgage values are not sustained, and it would appear wise for the mortgagee to forego part of his interest in order to save his prinTHE MINISTER'S RECENT PROMISE

It has recently become increasingly apparent that with part only of the district brought under the' Act in blocks with more or less arbitrary boundaries, many settlers have applied for and obtained relief who were not fanning then' land to the best advangtage whereas other settlers in the vicinity, capable and hardworking farmers, were precluded from the benefits of the Act through being outside the proclaimed areas. This was bound to cause serious anomalies m rental values with consequent heartburning and discontent among the settlers. The pronouncement of the Hon. A. D. McLeod, at Tapawera on Monday last that lie intended to bring down legislation to give every Crown lessee the right nf re.valution will no doubt remove anv difficulties in this direction. AN IMPORTANT POINT It should be. clearly understood by settlers, concluded Mr Waters, that the revaluations under this Act have no bearing on the valuations for rating purposes which can only be made by the Valuer-General under the Valuation of Land Act.

To date some. 323 applications under the Act have been received and 138 reports have been received from the conn, mittce. A very considerable extent of personal inspection and close inquiry is essential and so>me little time must necessarily elapse before the settle]- is informed of tiie decision arrived al.