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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14936, 14 June 1919, Page 6

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-. . . . , DEVELOPMENT URGED. VALUABLE TIMBER, RESOURCES. The national importance of developing the pumice lands m the Auckland province was emphasised by Mr T^ G. Dalzieli, chairman of directors of the Taupo Timber ' Company, m. the course of an interview. He stated that the portion of the pumice country within his knowledge was what is known as the Lower Wa-ik'ato and the Lake Taupb country,-, comprising an area of abbut 1,500,000 acres, of which two-thirds was estimated- by the Lands Department to be ploughable. Olf this area, from 3C0.000 to AOO.OOO acres was Crown land, from 600,000 to .700.000 native land, and the balance' European. \ There were also, iti the Lake Taupo basin, valuable timber resources, of which reliable estimates showed 447,---000.000 superficial feet of totara, 551,---000;000 superficial feet of matai, 76&,COO,OGO feet of rifnu, 45,000.000 superficial feet of ma,ire, and 153,000,000 superficial feet of m ; ro. In addition, there .'were many thousands of acres of, a. timber of the birch species, which the natives, and the settlers who had used it. regarded as equal to tota-ra m its lasting qualities. There was, therefore, m this locality a total of from 2.000.000.000 to S^OOO^OCOOOO superficial feet of- valuable timber which the Taupo Timber Company's operations had proved to be now marketable at a. substantial profit. -"l. Mi\ Dalzieli said that the thermal district of "Wairakei and Taupo, and the hydro-electric power resources kof Arapuni, Aratiatia, and Huka -were m the heart of this area; The : country, from I the nature of its climate and soil, was [ admittedly unexcelled- m New Zealand from a health point of yiew, and there wfis no land more cheaply worked and roaded. PROCESS 0(F IMPROVING PRO'FTABLE. The one defect was m. the condition of the soil, and upon, this question there was much misunderstanding. As m, all localities the soil varied m its condition. There were many thousands of acres "of first-class land, and „the bush country was all fit for set tlemeM purposes. The preat bulk of the: area, how-' ever, was of special class, requiring special treatment. The evidence of the Government ' agricultural ex])erts was i that' it ' consisted of a substance which ! was not sufficiently weathered or broken I down,' and wqs liicking m; humus, that is-, decayed, -animal or vegetable matter. These defects. ;hVWever, might be remedied by proper "cultivation and use. -arijfr tlu? more the "process was coi;.tfnued \the betler the, lai]d. would. ' become* ■■ v Pr^cHcai • farming; opevations on a lar^e Fcale -m the Matamata and Putaruru district's, hnd .' conclusively proved ■■tbßt;'the;'nroce')s.« of improving this hand was profitable m itself. j- that was to say, a' reasonable ajujual- profit could be •secured wpon tbe .<jj^^.nditure necessary for develppmpnty^gj^- m addition, the land' was under pjfoS)|ir trepfment, oonstantly improvinfif- ifi;' nunlity, so that there wns «a double profit. " v An illnstratibn of /this value .of this, country! : wns ■ -.given 'm the following fonts. A fawner po!d his farm at Ha- : wera for ab^ut £40 an ncre and bpueht an improved farm at .Matamatri for £17 nn acre. x . Hr ; adnrited the practice of pl'iuffhinor and fertilising qnp-third ...' of this areji; every yenr. At pre-war prices, this meant -^n- ndr^ed capital cost of £7 an a^!re tb his land;* ' Tlta' :.-; w,nis, h% innclS stoorl at £24 .m acre ■;. and from, this "-Tje focured as good n return, as . from his Hawera f arm ;.- \yit|i the ad ditioha l advnnfn>e' f-hrit the qnalify of his Matai mat-i. land was bejng improved m- the. i TH'Or'PSB ' NT>nr.s?!T'n r jem railway access The necessHy of constant cultivation and fertilising -of the soil made it essential that there should be railway access to it at oh'eap rnte?. bnt.h for 'fertilisers a,nd for the needs of the large number of people I- who mu?t, be employed. ' "Nfr. Dalzieli said there were three suggested lines of 1 railway for developing the mimice nountry. Fii'st. his com : pany's line, a light rail wny — which, had been rnnnirig for 15 years from Put*arunx^to within 20- mile's of Taupo. The estimated pre-wau cost of completing this line ,to Taupo £50.000. Next; there wa.4 the Tongariro Oompaiiy's proposed light railway from . Kakahi -to I Ijnke Tanpb. a .distance of 40 toUbs,. the epit'tYiftfed pfe w6^ c»ist of which was I £300 006; and , thirdly, a Government lino from "Rotom* — 56 miles — which was estimated m- 1912 to cost £392,000. .[.' It was only by ■ taking a narrow view., of tJie matter that any antagonism could be seen between these lines. They were all necessary, and would be mutually helpful. / Tn 1912 a. committee of Par-, liament, after taking the evidence of settlers and of the chief oflicers and. expertß of the Lands, Railway, and Pub-' lie Works Departments, found that the Tnupo Company's railway would be pcr r ninneritlv required 1 for the use. of the 70 miles of country 'it went through, and recommended Parliament to guarantee £FO.OQO, the sum ronuired for its Completion to Tanpo. This recommendation was given effect to by a statutory authority to levy' a rate" upon the drown, native, and nfivate lands m the distrist, but owing, first," 1 to a difficulty with' the natives, and then' to the war. the matter bad not beep proceeded with. ■ Mr. Dalziell said his' company had cash reserves and uncalled capital avail- s able for development work: but it -and the settlers on its- railway were hompernd by the fact that there was, no definite Government policy m respect of tho do-' velopment of the country. GUARANTEE OF PEBMANENT TRAFHC. •••..., v Tlio vital and urgent necessity was that the timber m the district should be definitely ; associated with the railway policy. This.' would bo seen from the traffic figures of the Taupo Compnny's line. At' the present time tho company had iio guarantee tha^t;whea. its own bushes were cut out, m. from 12 to 15 years' time, there would be sufficient trniHc to justify tlie continuance of the. line, and, it was not at present.therefore, iustified m embarking oapital m developing; work. It seemed obvious that some arrangements shoxild be made whereby the timber m the district should; be, ao used that a permanent traffic coiild be punranteed to tho railwnv on terms' Avh'ch would enable the settlers to have the benefit of Government railway; rates and, fncijities.- '..■,.(?.. v.- --..-•'• "I am not, 6f course, suggesting ..that this district, or the Taupo, Compan,y'a railway, should -receive considerat : a»i at i the ex}.iense,of pther enterprises," con- | eluded Mr. Dhlzicll; "The development :of this great area of country is, how- ' ever, one of th&- most l'mportant of our national nuestionfl, nnd| it, seems well thntf the facts relating to tit shotild te j generollv known, at., thft present iunctureV nnd , that the Gnvefnment departments concerned should be urged to agree upon a common policy."