The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1913. CLIMATE.

Waipa Post, Volume IV, Issue 200, 1 April 1913, Page 2

The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1913. CLIMATE.

The Waikato district is perhaps one of the most favoured localities in the Dominion, when climatic conditions are considered. This is not an idle boast. It is a statement which is amply proven by a review of the past year’s climatic conditions. Go where you will it is hard to find any locality where, for agricultural purposes at all events the seasons come and go with such regularity. With an ample rainfall, well distributed throughout the year, we hardly realise the dread consequences of “ draught ” or “ flood.” Nor is the weather so hot in summer or cold in winter as to render agricultural pursuits impossible. Recent reports from the northern and southern districts show that less favourable conditions prevail, and that agricultural and commercial progress is much hampered as a result. The northern districts practically the whole of the Auckland province north of Auckland —have been parched as the result of continued drought. Those engaged in agricultural pursuits in that locality realise to the full the dread consequences of that “ nightmare” which forms a constant menace to Australian farmers. Farming under such conditions is practically hopeless. With only a winding clay track to mark the bed of streams and with all pasture dried up it is little wonder that settlers lose heart, and as we said before the serious consequences of the oft repeated dread of Australia is realised to the full by those unfortunate northern farmers who have battled this last few months under such conditions. The recent phenomenal downpour in the South Island indicates what devastation can be wrought when climatic conditions revert to the extreme opposite to that perienced in the North. All the country for miles along the Mataura Valley is inundated and the flood waters have caused wholesale destruction of stock whilst many thousands of pounds worth of property have been irretrievably lost. Direct loss under these conditions is not confined to the tanner. Those towns along the river banks suffer the immediate loss of damaged property whilst business men have only a flood-stricken district to look to for months to come. The results are disastrous

even more serious than that

caused by continued drought. For many years Waikato has been immune from such climatic set-backs. Indeed Waikato farmers —and business men too for that matter, have every reason to thank the “ lucky star ” that guided them to such a richly endowed district, where climatic conditions are all in favour of the speedy development of all that tends for the building up of a most prolific agricultural and pas-

toral locality. The experiences of our fellow-countrymen, and more particularly those of the flooded south, are most unenviable, and nought but heart-felt sympathy can be felt for them in the dire calamity which has befallen them. It should be, however, a valuable object lesson to the

more fortunate settlers of this district, and we hope it will serve to bring about a more thorough appreciaion of what possibly is the greatest of natural gifts —a regular and almost perfect climate. The best indication of any such appreciation can be shown by a linn endeavour to bring about the full development of our lands. When this is done, then, and then only, shall we be putting to proper use, the recognised value of the “Waikato climate.”