SAVING THE SOIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23203, 24 November 1938, Page 12

SAVING THE SOIL

A reason for hope that something, on an adequate scale, will soon be done to cope with soil erosion, is given by the steps being taken on the Government's initiative. Mr. Semple's intention to set up a special organisation under the Public Works Department has been followed by the assembling of an expert group of technical investigators, whose first duty is to recommend a type of organisation for adoption. There need be little delay at this initial stage nor need there be any preliminary debate as to the urgency of combating the ruinous evil. Enough data are already in the files of the Lands and Agriculture Departments to demonstrate the extent of the loss suffered by denudation of uplando in many parts of the Dominion. It is known what has been mainly responsible for the immense economic evil. Convinced of this, many farmers owning land on high levels have been active in planting exotics of rapid growth, in order to provide a barrier of vegetation distributing rainfall and preventing slips and floods; but all such individual efforts have limited influence, and may be rendered comparatively useless by lack of organised action covering greater areas. Nothing short of a thorough campaign, properly conceived and carried out, can be of real and enduring value. This means the employment, among others, of a large body of engineers, who would be better engaged on the task of saving soil than on that of destroying natural contours in the course of other work. There will be less immediately to show for this enterprise of salvage, but it is intimately related to the Dominion's present and future prosperity and should rank high among essential social services.