THE KING COUNTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22345, 17 February 1936, Page 11

THE KING COUNTRY

ASSISTING SETTLORS _ ORGANISED DEVELOPMENT . | WORK OF LANDS DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS ON LARGE SCALE No. IX. In spite of the abuse which has been heaped upon the "runholder" or " squatter," who -has been called a " land-hog," "glutton" and countless other uncomplimentary names, he did very valuable work in developing New Zealand's lands from tlieir native rough state to productive pasture. His term, indeed, might have been usefully extended, when he was deprived of his improved land, by inviting him to take up areas of bush and other land capable of improvement, on very, favourable terms. Instead, settlers with little capital or experience other than their stout hearts, strong arms and boundless optimism were "settled" on bush land, pumice wastes and barren clays, where none without large capital and considerable experience of grassing and stocking new country could hope to succeed. The results of this mistaken policy are only too evident to-day, especially in the King Country,; where, on many areas distributed from north to south, the original settlers have "walked off," leaving as.the only monument of their years of toil and hardship some depressing-looking acres of bracken, manuka, hard-fern, ragwort and other weeds encircled by the boundary fence. Economic Cultivation At long last the Government has awakened to the obvious fact that thi3 land was not, in its natural state, suitable for small settlement, and that the only hope of economically developing such land and of reinstating that which has reverted, on a profit-producing basis, is to deal with it on a large_ scale as did the runholders in the old days. It is essential to have sufficient funds and labour available to thoroughly clear, sow down and subdivide in short time any area which is taken in hand. Thereafter large numbers of stock are required, for perhaps only short intervals, to heavily graze and consolidate the country at the psychological, moment. The plant necessary to accomplish the work efficiently on a. comparatively small section is generally beyond the means of the settler, and can, Resides, be used economically only when a large area, providing it with constant employment, is available. State Accepts Responsibility Appreciating this truth, and being faced also with the necessity of protecting a very large sum advanced by it to settlers on abandoned and obviously deteriorating land, which is it® only security, the Government has assumed the responsibility of developing and reinstating these areas, and to this end has established a land development branch of the Lands Department in connection with the small farms scheme. In the King Country this branch is under the superintendence of Mr. A. B. Jordan, a farmer with many yeay of practical experience to guide him % with which is combined the executive ability necessary for the control of ft scheme having many ramifications. Altogether some .21,000 acres " have now been placed under Mr. Jordan's control, and of this area over one-third is now either fully improved or is in an advanced stage of development. The main estates in the northern- part of the King Country are the Ngatamahine block of 2800 acres, which is carrying 1200 breeding ewes (from which last year 100 per cent of lambs were sold), 180 head of station cattle and 250 dairy cows in production: Pururu, an area of 2000 acres, carrying 424 ewes with lambs, 40 steers and 132 dairy cows; Waitangaruru, 2100 acres stocked with 500 wethers and 120 steers; Lee's block, 243 acres, with 125 ewes and lambs and 60 dairy cows; and Owen's block, 580 acres, which is so far not stocked. Rapid Progress Made The comprehensive nature of the farming being undertaken and the rapid progress of development can be gauged from the fact that, roughly two years from the time when this scheme was first decided upon, previously unproductive land is now carrying 6000 sheep, 540 cattle, 950 dairy cows, 120 pigs and 95 working horses. It is estimated that, when development of the whole area is completed, approximately 150 prosperous and contented settlers will occupy the land on which, previously, less than a third of this number were unable to make a satisfactory living. At the present time 78 prospective settlers and their families are in occupation of comfortable modern homesteads amid luxuriant pastures, and a further 300-odd workmen, drawn from the ranks of the unemployed, are engaged in developmental work. Even at this early stage the scheme is responsible for the support of 670 men. women and children, and it is, therefore, playing no small part in solving the distress due to unemployment. Work for the Unemployed While the organisation and planning of the work is under the direction of the land development branch of the Lands Department, with headquarters at Te Kuiti, the actual work of clearing and breaking in the land is done with unemployed funds and labour by the Public Works and it is not, therefore, a charge against the tland. The only costs of improvement debited to the land are supervision, seeding and permanent •works, such as building and fencing. During the past two years those blocks which have been stocked have paid interest on the capital charge. The areas which have been taken , over by the land development branch of the Lands Department include Crown land in its native state, Crown leaseholds which have been forfeited, and certain State securities, mortgagors of which are in trouble owing to their holding an area greater than they have capital to improve. In these cases arrangements are made between mortgagee and mortgagor whereby a portion of the holding is surrendered for development by the Small Farms Board. Where he is entitled to it. the mortgagor is compensated by way of a loan which is expended by the Small Farms Board on work to improve his remaining area, and it is usuallv found that the settler is able on this improved smaller area, to carry as many stock as on his original holding and to make larger returns.