LAND CLASSIFICATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19564, 17 February 1927, Page 10

LAND CLASSIFICATION.

USE FOR AFFORESTATION. RIGHTS. OF PRIVATE OWNERS. [BY ' TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. J MATAMATA, Wednesday. Replying to a letter from the Waitemata County Council urging that land should bo classified according to its suitability for afforestation in order to prevent tho use of dairying land for forestry puropses, the Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. YV. Downie Stewart, wrote stating that ho had discussed the matter with the Minister oi Lands. The latter fully appreciated the importance of the matter and pointed out that so far as Crown lands were concerned every care was being exercised. One factor, however, was overlooked, that of stock sickness in some parts of Matamata and adjacent counties, and the question arose as to whether these lauds should remain as breeding grounds for noxious weeds or be used for afforestation. Experience had shown that to dispose of bush-sick country for farming purposes only courted trouble for both the settler and tho Government. The classification of privately-owned lands presented a difficulty, and whether the matter was of sufficient importance to purchase private lands for afforestation required serious consideration. A further letter was enclosed from the Minister of Agriculture, Hon, O. J. Hawken, who held that the suggestion to prevent owners using their lands for the purposes for which they considered such lands could be most profitably used would be an interference with private liberty, which no Government could seriously consider for a moment. The fact that large areas of scrub land could bo secured for a low price was a strong indication, if not proof, that this land was not suitable for farming. In such cases, there were great public and pri vate advantages in using the land for tree-planting.