HIGH COUNTRY RUNHOLDERS

Southland Times, Issue 24106, 20 April 1940, Page 6

HIGH COUNTRY RUNHOLDERS

PROBLEMS DISCUSSED AT CONFERENCE (United Press Association) TIMARU, April 19. South Island high country runholders from as far afield as Blenheim and Southland assembled at Lake Tekapo yesterday to discuss problems affecting the high country generally. The conference was convened by Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., and was attended by officers of the Lands and Survey and Agriculture Departments, and specialists on erosion and other agricultural problems. The conference lasted until late in the night and continued today, when the findings were

placed before the Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone). The Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) attended for a short period. The findings of the conference were put forward by Mr A. D. McLeod, of Waimakariri. The chief finding was the necessity to set up an Advisory Bqard to deal with high country administrative problems in the South Island. The conference urged on the Government the extreme urgency of high country runholders taking an active part in the administration of the Lands Department. The suggestion was that the Government should appoint four representatives and that two high country men from each land district representing the Runholders’ Board would have the full responsibility of all policy matters affecting leases, the basis of rentals and administrative problems generally. The conference sought a stabilized price for rabbitskins to eliminate the influence of commercialism in extermination. It also asked that sweet briar be eradicated on the same lines as ragwort. The conference protested against the price paid for wool, declaring that the high country was not getting the margin over the coarser wool that it previously received. Mr Langstone drew attention to the difficulty of a separate board, as all the surveys and titles were held by the present boards. The cost of dividing the lands districts would defeat the benefits of the proposal. There was no reason why a body should not be set up to confer and co-operate with the department so far as wool was concerned, the Minister said. If any adjustment was made he would do his best to see that the alteration was in favour of high country men. The other matters would be taken up by the departments concerned.