ABANDONED FARM LANDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23213, 6 December 1938, Page 10

ABANDONED FARM LANDS

Once again attention has been drawn to the problem of deteriorated farm lands and the Stratford branch of the Farmers' Union, after considering the serious position in the back country of Taranaki, proposes to ask the Government to appoint a commission of practical, men to carry out investigations. Land which is-allowed to go out of production represents a waste of human effort, and in modern farming and industrial practice wasted effort is almost a capital offence. However, it does not seem that any useful purpose can be served by the appointment of a commission to investigate a problem which has existed for years and which has already been examined, both as to cause and effect, by men competent to express authoritative opinions. In the interval, too, the Lands Department and the Agriculture" Department have accumulated statistical and other evidence bearing on the position, and what is wanted now is action, both legislative and practical. It is common knowledge that many sheep farmers on second and third-class land are to-day experiencing grave difficulties, largely owing to high costs and the' oppressive nature of the graduated land tax. They must be given relief if the position is not to deteriorate from bad to worse. With regard to land which has already gone out of production, it must be remembered that large areas of it are unsuitable for close settlement. This land can only be farmed in large blocks, and here again it is a question of removing barriers and giving men with capital an incentive to bring it back into production. Another point which must be emphasised is that some of the deteriorated land was badly chosen in the first place and will probably figure in the activities of the special department which Mr. Semple proposes to set up to deal with the related problems of flood damage and soil erosion. Indeed, this new department could well undertake as an important part of its functions the proper handling, classification and subsequent development ol abandoned farm lands.