SMALL FARMS SCHEME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19693, 27 July 1938, Page 5

SMALL FARMS SCHEME

DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS

AREAS OP CROWN LANDS

(Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day

Development operations by the Lands Department involved the expenditure of £24,430 last year, but the most active feature was in connection with the small farms scheme. The Small Farms Board, states the report, is definitely concentrating on the development and reconditioning of areas of Crown land or reverted Crown leaseholds. The operations are carried out under strict supervision. Work is done by unemployed men working on a wage basis of £4 a week.

Although development operations are going on in most districts the major schemes are in the North Island. The scheme has resulted in 394 individual holdings being established on an area of 27,841 acres, while blocks under development comprise 565 sections, aggregating 39,107 acres, Land selections under all tenures last year totalled 1072, comprising 232,225 acres. High Country Areas

The Under-Secretary of the Lands Department describes the active policy of reserving further high country areas for afTorestation. Control over high pastoral country is also receiving attention.

"Every pastoral license contains the condition," states the report, "that the licensee shall prevent the destruction or burning of timber or bush on land. It is also provided that no licensee shall burn any tussock on his run or permit any tussock to be burnt without prior consent, in writing, of the Land Board.

"The administration of the law has, however, proved to be extremely difficult and from special reports recently submitted, it appears to be fairly evident that a great deal of indiscriminate burning has been going oh and that great damage is resulting from this illegal practice and also from overstocking. The whole matter is regarded very seriously. "Arrangements have been made for the department's field inspector's to devote much more attention than has been possible during the past few years to the general supervision of Crown leaseholds."