BAD LANDS PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18861, 8 November 1924, Page 12

BAD LANDS PROBLEM.

! COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY.

A STRONG PERSONNEL.

WIDE OkDER OF REFERENCE.

REPORT AT END OF YEAR.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] -■ WELLINGTON. Friday. What have become to be known as the bad lands of the North Island aro to be the subject of a comprehensive investigation by a committee of inquiry set up by the Minister for Lands, the Hon. A. D. McLeod. The inquiry is in regard to the deterioration of the lands l>'' n K ketween the Wanganui River and the southern portion of the Auckland province, taking in portion of Taranaki, the King Country and the Waikato. The story of the lands is fairly well known. Originally forest, they had been highly productive for many years. When the slump camo and cattle became worthless, a very serious deterioration set in. The country has since reverted in places to water, fern and second growth of softwoods and shrubs. It has reached a stage when it becomes necessary to devise means to have tho land stocked and grazed in order to restore its original high productivity. The problem of access has also become serious. To quote an instance in the Whangamomona area in Northern Taranaki there is a depth of several feet of loamy earth reposing on papa or sandstone. It was all heavy bush and when the timber was felled all the roots . rotted. The country began to slide and roads were' severely damaged through slips. During the Parliamentary session just closed Taranaki members, notably Mr. R. Masters, of Stratford, have placed the case of these lands before the Minister, and Mr. McLeod promptly acceded to a request for a comprehensive investigation into tho cause of the deterioration. The Minister, in announcing the appointment of the committee, said that It would have the widest possible order of reference so that he apd the Government would be apprised of every feature or problem associated with bringing these lands back toproductivity. • The order o! reference briefly set out comprises an inqoh-y into the following matters; —(1) Tho reasons for the deterioration of the lands and the most practicable means of bringing them back; (2) what grasses are most likely to be successfully established, and the probable cost per acre in that connection; (3) what Measure of the deterioration, if any, Is due to tho disability settlers are under in regard to access to their holdings j (4) whether the areas are generally too large or too small j (5) what form of relief it would he practicable to give the settlers. _ . The personnel of the committee of inquiry is as follows s—Mr. G. H. Bullard, commissioner of Grown lands, Canterbury, who in the past has had long association with the Taranaki lands as commissioner of Crown lands at New Plymouth; Mr. Frank Cameron, a well-known Hawke s Bay farmer; Mr. E. P. Fowler, district valuer, Masterton, also familiar with that class of country; Mr. E. Bruce Levy, of tha Department of Agriculture, who is well known to the farming community in connection with discovery and experimentation in grasse#; Mr. W. Roberton, a well-known Taranaki farmer; Mr. i. Keller, district engineer, Taumarunui. Mr. Cleverden, of the Lands Department, wili be the secretary to the committee, which will leave for New Plymouth, tomorrow' morning. Its peregrinations will extend from Stratford to Raglan and its report is returnable on December 31.