THE GUM LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15667, 22 July 1914, Page 11

THE GUM LANDS.

. a» ~ AN IMPORTANT REPORT. < ~—— - NEGLECT OF THE PAST. :"Hlan:d rendered useless. SUGGESTED REMEDIES. EXPORT DUTY ON GUM. GRADING BY THE STATE. [BT TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL COIIHKSrONDEXT.] •">" Wellington, Tuesday. Tire report of the commission appointed to inspect and classify the kauri gum re- ' serves in tho Auckland district was presented to Parliament by the Prime Minis- . ter this afternoon. Summarised, the conclusions and recom- • mendations of tho commissioners aro as ,;follows :— (1) That the reservation bo uplifted from various kauri gum reserves as per schedule of a total area of 71,164 ..' ' acres. • (2) That the Crown gum lands have been mismanaged in the past, greatly to their detriment. (3) That better methods of management are essential. (4) That the development of the Crown gum lands under judicious management offers a practicable solution \ of tho unemployed difficulty for many years to come. (5) That the settlement of the gum .;';.. lands by men possessing little or no - capital can only be brought about by " . a gradual process. (6) That the State should break in and develop the gum lands before disposal and that such a process would fV; bo an economic success. >;. (7) That section 20 of tie Land Act, 1912, be amended so as to widen its | scope. (8) That the checking of sand-drift on the peninsular, north of Ahipara, affecting 100,000 acres of Crown lands and 200,000 acres of private lands, is ■■,' a matter for serious consideration. ':';.■■ (9) That tho afforestation of certain ' i areas should be taken in band. (10) That the wine shop 6on tho ] ,; r kauri gum reserves on the northern ;-j gumfields aro having a most pernicious .-v;- effect. : (11) That a department be set up : . to take charge of tie Crown gum lands .1? and the kauri gum industry generally, v such a department to bo supported .-, by imposing an export duty of £1 a gv, ton on kauri gum. S|fU History of the Reserves. . ;|: r The report states that since the passing . . fcf the Kauri Gum Industry Act, 1898, a | total area of 276,210 acres has been set .■■apart as kauri <;uni reserves. The total -f withdrawals to date amount to 48.849 .teres. In addition to this there is' an area excluded from the operation of the Kauri Gum Industry Act by the Kaitaia 3 find Drainage Act,* 1913. Of the areas .Withdrawn 30,424 acres have been selected pp. to the present, 610 acres are still open for selection, and 2724 acres are now un- .-;■.-•; tier, survey for settlement purposes. The commissioners found large areas of : land which had never been gum-bearing .;; included in the reservations. A notable instance of such occurred at Waipapa, north of Ohaea'ivai, where inspections dis- - closed areas of 14,000 acres of such land comprised within kauri gum reserves; In ;■; other instances largo areas of good bush land were included in tho reserves. Neglect in the Past.

In dealing with the neglect) of the Crown ■ 'pirn lands in pairt years the report states: '■"H thera is one outstanding fact that has made itself more and more manifest, it is the apparent disregard of the interests of the State- which has been displayed in regard to the administration of the* gunshearing lands of the Crown. This remark .... applies. not only to what are known as : kauri gum reserves, but also to the gumfeiring Crown lands. The total area of the gum-bearing lands, which are all in the Auckland provincial district, was estimated in 1898 at 814,000 acres. Of this area 434.000 acres was then Crown lands. .Here, then, was an area of Oown lands amounting to nearly half a million acres, .which was simply left to the gum-digger to use in his own way. Heecould wander at will over those large areas, dig for gum _ whs??- he liked, make as many holes as lie liked and as deep as he liked, burn the scrub and vegetation, and generally / 1 destroy the value of the land for , subsequent development without let or '.':■ hindrance." v The commissioners state they do not think .'; that there is any Iblame fairly attachable to.the gum-digger. He was simply out \ to get the gum-" ».:,. The report then proceeds to review the y : effect of the Kauri Gum Industries Act of -;; 898, which practically handed over the ..administration of the'lands to' the local bodies. It adds: "No provision has been ; : made up to the present time, either by .., Act or regulations, specifying the manner <:;: in which gum-digging should bo carried 1 , on over the Crown lands, nor have any li measures been taken to ensure that the ;'..!];■• land should be dealt with in such a way *k| that it would not be deteriorated for : farming purposes after'all the gum had ieen dug out. %■■■ ' "Appalling Effect of Apathy." .".' "The effect of such apathy is ap- ... palling," state the commissioners, "and ffr.the gumfields of the Crown present to-day - a spectacle at once depressing and deplorable. On large areas of tho flat lands and swamps, holes have been dug to depths ; ranging from 3ft to 15ft. These holes are '■of all sizes and shapes,, and when it is '/considered that in some "cases there are aii ; many as 200 of such holes to the acre', it ■will"be realised that tta land which has been so treated is, in its present condition, almost, if not altogether, useless for farming purposes." The commissioners, after dealing at length with contrasts in management, remark:—"He would be .a most indifferent }irivute individual who would have allowed . lis land to be dealt with in such a manner. If tho private owner ever did allow his lands to be so injuriously dealt with, ho has long since acquired wisdom. The if State, however, has failed to profit by experience, and the serious injury to the lands is still proceeding."

Suggestions for the Future! _",,.■' In proceeding to discuss suggestions for *• 41ie future management of the gum lands, the report states There are still Large. -- : areas of land which can be dealt with in .■: k systematic manner, both with advantage . '.to the digger anc profit to the State. The ;•; Vast areas which have been so devastated ', .* '«»n, with proper treatment, in course of ": time, be brought into profitable use. The . : . Method to be adopted should follow closely : *n the lines of private enterprise. Swamps "should first be drained, then tested for their gum-bearing values, and the gum- ■■ ' "digging let, on a royalty or other practiv .:-;fcal'basis, with the' stipulation that the > ;.i land should be dug on a face, or in other •' respecU so treated that it will be in a ftt ■ ' ••'Condition for farming operations after the -Sum has been taken out." ; -[v'i Among the swamp areas that might be : " first dealt with may be mentioned the 'Jlotutangi swamp of over 2000 acre*, situated between Waiharara and Hohoura, the Coal Hill and Pakiri swamps of 600 a*res and 600 acres respectively near tMangawai, the Uretiti swamp of 1000 acres - Hear Waipu, Gray's; swamp near Akeraroa, the Tikimu* and Tekuri swamps in the . Northern Wairoa district and Marsden Point swamp of 2300 acres. Such lands - in their present, condition are useless either .■.for gum-digging or settlement purposes. Solution of Unemployed Problem. : . 'V In. regard to thos. large areas of flat land which have been riddled with potholes to such an extent as to make them practically useless fa their present condi- -

torn, special treatment is required. It is suggested that areas of say 100 acres of Mich land should be successively taken in Hand and dealt with in a systematic man- "? r :, A beginning might bo mad* on some o the large flats in the neighbourhood of aiharara. Men should be put on to dig the land on a face, all timber thrown up on the surface and the land left in a suitable condition for subsequent cultivation and settlement. The digging could either be done by day labour with a bonus to the digger on the amount of gum recovered or let in small contract* as might bo found expedient. In whatever way tho work was done it would, under prudent management, prove self-supporting. In regard to many of what are called the shallow fields which have in a measure ceased to bo very profitable to the gum-digger operating with spear and spade, tho commissioners recommend that all such lands should be broken in and improved by the State and <on verted into grass lands bofore they are disposed of for settlement purposes, Settlement of Gum Lands. " From a settlement point of view," says the report, "it is clear there are only two ways of successfully dealing with Mich lands. The one is to dispose of "hem to men possessing sufficient capital to develop them; the other is for the State to develop them before they are offered for selection. It is the latter method which is favoured by vour commissioners. There should be no loss to the State in following such a course, for apart from the value of the gum which would bo recovered from the land during tho ploughing operations, and which it is suggested would in many case 3 pay for the breaking-in process, whatever expenditure was incurred could subsequently bo added to tho value of the lands before they were disposed of." Amendment of the Law. In order to meet the requirements of any settlers desirous of taking up gum lands in their present undeveloped condition, the commissioners recommend that section 20 of the Land Act, 1912, be amended so as to provide that any portion of a kauri-gum reserve may be proclaimed as open for selection as "unsurvoyed land " in lieu of land in allotments as at present stipulated, provision being made subsequently by regulations that such selections can only- be made in accordance with a scheme of subdivision prepared by the Commissioner of Crown Lauds, and that some degree of preference be given to men who have continuously "resided on such land, say, 'or a period of six months prior to the date on which tho land was proclaimed as being open for selection. . - Sand Drift in the north. A matter affecting that portion of tho narrow peninsula extending northward from Ahipara for 50 miles to a point within about three miles of the North Cape, mentioned in the report, is the rapid advance of the sand-drift, The report states that this countrv comprises an area of 301,000 acres, of which 100,000 acres are Crown lands. The commissioners were impressed with the seriousness of tho position, and they are of opinion that the reclamation and subsequent afforestation of the 100,000 acres of sandy waste, included in the i narrow peninsula,' and the protection of the balance of the lands from the advancj ing sand drift, is a matter calling for t early and serious consideration. Suggested Afforestation. Tho question, of afforestation on the gum lands is next dealt with. One of the areas from which the reservation is recommended to be uplifted, is what is • known as the Karapiro Reserve, situated quite close to Kerikeri inlet, Bay of Islands, and contains about 14,000 acres. This area, in the opinion of the commissioners, is specially adapted for afforestation. Fruitgrowing Industry. The commissioners state that they are quite convinced that large areas of the gum lands are excellently adapted for apple-growing, but as far as the man of small means is concerned tho process must be a gradual one, for he has to Jive while the fruit trees are coming into bearing. Such a man, it is suggested, might put in an acre of apples the first year, and then, year after year, increase the area.

Population of Gumfields. In regard to the population of the gumfields, the report estimates that fully 6000 workers wero employed gum-digging during tho past season. in this estimate no account is taken of the number of men employed in sorting and preparing the gum for export in the various • centres, nor of the number employed in the work of transport from the gumfields to the port of shipment. . It is a fair assumption that the 6000 workers have at least 2000 dependents on them, making a total of 8000 souls actually supported by tho gum-digging industry. Tho number of licenses taken out last year was 3538. In a reference to the importance and value of the kauri gum industry, the commissioners bay:— would appear to us that the importance and value of the kauri gum industry is not correctly appreciated by the people of New Zealand, Special Department Recommended. The report recommends the State to set up a small sub-department to take charge of the Crown gum lands and the in; duslry generally. "Such a department, says the report, "might be made selfsupporting bv imposing an export duty of, '.say, £1 per- ton on kauri gum. It is tbe well-considered opinion of your commissioners that tho imposition of such a duty would not be objected to by the gum-digger on whom the burden would undoubtedly fall, for he recognises that a proper system of control of the industry would give an added value to his product quite in excess of the small impost which would bo placed on the individual digger." Grading of Gum. The report adds that though objections have been raised by gum buyers, the commissioners are of opinion that there are no difficulties in regard to grading gum by the State that .ould not bo overcome, and thai it is not only practicable to grade the gum, but also desirable in "the interests of the workers engaged in the industry. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE.

GUM-BUYERS' RING ALLEGED. fj)T TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL COHRKSPONDKNtI WEtHXGirojr, Tuesday. In reply to Mr. Reed (Bay of Islands) the Prime Minister stated that the commissioners were unanimous in their findMr. Reed paid a tribute to the thorough manner in which the commissioners had set about their work. He said he had been credibly informed that there was a gumbuyers' ring in Auckland. If that were so "he thought that the Government should undertake the export of the gum. Mr Glover (Auckland Central) advocated the placing of an export duty on gum. Mr.' Mander (Marsden) expressed his pleasure*at the appointment of Mr, R. P. Greville (chairman of the commission) as a special officer to supervise the administration of the gum lands m the North of Auckland. . Ho predicted a boom in the settlement of these gum lands in the future. Mr Harris iWaitemata). said many of the settlers who were endeavouring to make homes on these lands were handicapped by the absence of good roads. He particularly referred to the Oteha Blocs, between the East Coast Road and Albany, and said he hoped the Government would put a substantial sum on the Estimates for the purpose of roading this block. Mr Coates (Kaipara) said the provision in* the Act of 1912 was good, but thine were complaints in regard to the administration of the Act, and he suggested that a commission might be appointed to 111ouire into these complaints. , Ho thought that attention might bo given to the question of the afforestation of some of the Steep faces of the gum country. He regarded the. report as a most valuable one.