LAND CLEARANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23206, 28 November 1938, Page 13

LAND CLEARANCE

USE OF MACHINERY GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL WEST COAST DEMONSTRATION [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WESTPORT, Sunday "Vast machinery will be brought to the Buller district in February for the purpose of demonstrating the clearing and draining of at present unproductive land," said the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, M.P. for Buller, when he addressed a record attendance of farmers at the meeting of the Bailor Farmers' Union on Saturday night. Mr. Webb emphasised the importance of the application of machinery in the clearing and draining of land, and said that something had to be done at or.ce to increase production throughout New Zealand, and before production could # be increased extra areas of ground had to be cleared and brought to a suitable point of productivity. "There are thousands of acres of good land that only require work —land that is near to railways and highways," said Mr. Webb. "Yet the old methods of clearing the land are too slow, "This state of affairs is entirely wrong', and, if machinery can alter the case, the time when machinery should bo used has arrived. By this modern method it will be possible to clean, stump and plough four acres of ground a day. Mr. Webb added that he had witnessed the work that could be done with machinery during a recent tour be had made of the Gisborne district. During his tour ho had interviewed the representative of the builders of these machines. The Government could get the plant, but first an inspection would have to be made of tho district in order to see if the land could bo cleared economically. Later Mr. Webb said he had conferred with the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, and tho Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. Semple, and discussed the plans. In February a demonstration will take place in the Buller district on three different types of soil. "It is hoped that the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, and representatives of all bodies throughout New Zealand will be present at the demonstration," continued Mr. Webb. "The has distinct hopes that it can get machinery that will clear up the Buller district and other parts of New Zealand in a minimuhi of time, the clearing of which, under old methods, might take 100 years."