IMPROVEMENT OF FARM LAND

Southland Times, Issue 24163, 27 June 1940, Page 8

IMPROVEMENT OF FARM LAND

SETTLERS MEET AT GORGE ROAD REQUESTS TO BE MADE TO GOVERNMENT At a meeting of Gorge Road farmers it was decided to request the Government to assist the settlers to improve their land by stumping by machinery so that production might be greatly increased. A committee was set up to act in co-operation with the committee appointed at Waimatua on Saturday night and to solicit the support of Southland members of Parliament. There was an attendance of about 50 district farmers. Mr James Lewis was chairman. He said that in the Gorge Road district the problem was stumping and not draining as in the Duck Creek area. Mr L. A. Niederer, riding member ot the Southland County Council, said there were 25 families on 8000 acres on the north side of the railway line and 50 families on 12,000 acres on the south side. This area could be made to produce several times its present production. It was mostly red pine and kamahi country and those who had heavily limed and manured it had got on their feet. In 50 acres one farm carried 22 cows, six yearlings and two horses, and in addition, eight tons of chaff and 40 bags of oats had been taken off the farm. Another farm of 200 acres on which four tons of lime to the acre had been applied was running 27 cows, 323 ewes, which shore an average of lOalb of wool, while more than 400 lambs averaging 26/- had been secured. Another illustration was of a farm of 20 acres carrying 10 cows and 20 ewes. These farms had been in the rough only 15 years ago and showed what could be done on the land in the district. Mr E. Monteath said that the Pion. P. C. Webb had said that if £2,000,000 were spent on drainage and stumping in Southland the province would yield £20,000,000 more. A similar motion to that passed at Waimatua on Saturday night was passed asking the Government to assist farmers so that they might increase their production and play their full part in the war effort. The following committee was appointed from the Gorge Road district to work in conjunction with the committee appointed at Waimatua:—Messrs G. Kevin, J. Lewis, L. A. Niederer, E. Monteath (Gorge Road), D. Falkiner (Bush Siding) and A. Robinson (Kapuka). Mr J. Bourchier was appointed secretary of the combined committee. Mr L. A. Niederer was appointed chairman of the committee and Mr J. Urquhart (Tisbury) was added to the committee.

The committee held a special meeting later and decided to make requests to the Government that all work be done at the lowest cost by the use of machinery so that in the end each settler would be able to carry on in a better financial position. It was also decided to ask that Government supervisors be asked to work in conjunction with the district committees. Messrs L. A. Niederer, B. Clearwater and J. Urquhart were appointed a deputation to meet the Hon. Adam Hamilton and Mr W. M. C. Denham, M.P.s, as soon as possible to solicit support for the scheme. The committee was instructed to report to a future meeting.