CATTLE SICK COUNTRY

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1607, 14 February 1925, Page 5

CATTLE SICK COUNTRY

SETTLERS MUST BE HELPED. fßy Telegraph. Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. Interviewed on his return from a tour of inspection of the South Auckland district the Minister of Lands (Hon. A. D. McLeod) stated that in less that three weeks he had travelled by motor car upwards of 1300 miles, “often over roads, which, to say the least, were atrocious.” A variety of difficulties obtain over the wide area traversed, among ti Chief of which are land drainage, deterioration into fern, and second growth, cattle and sheep-sick lands, inability to finance, and dealing with lands both private and State still undeveloped. Referring to difficulties experienced by settlers in financing cattle and sheep sick land, the Minister says: “I can’t disagree with the Department’s statement that the office was instituted, and is still being carried on, not as a source from which to draw finance, but for bona fide lending at cheap rates upon sound securities. In other words, experimenting in doubtful securities is not the true function of the State Advances Department, or even of an agricultural bank, which a few so fondly cherish as a possible avenue of escape from unenviable circumstances. How to help a settler with finance on a security of which he himself is doubtful, is a problem not easy of solution. Still, I admit that things cannot long remain as at present in the badly affected areas, and some effort will require to be made to find experimental finance, if settlers are to remain on their holdings.” The Minister remarked that his tour had been both interesting and instructive. “With malice aforethought,” he said “they selected a tour which would take me through as many as possible of the ‘danger zones’ of a large land district, and in going from one point to another I saw much that would please the heart of any farmer, or any Minister, in the shape -of smiling homesteads, splendid pastures, and sleek-skinned dairy cattle of high standard. Auckland’s output of butterfat in various forms gives ample proof of its great productivity.”