Soil Erosion Not Fault Of Farmers

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 January 1948, Page 4

Soil Erosion Not Fault Of Farmers

“I am sorry that an extract from a statement which I prepared for the Sheep Industry Commission should be so quoted as to place the whole blame for soil erosion on to the farmer, stated a letter from Mr. W. L. Newnham, chairman of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, in a letter received at yesterday's meeting of the Rangitikei Catchment Board.

The chairman, Mr. K. A. Williams, said that in the press, Mr. Newnham was reported in his evidence'to the Sheep Industry Commission to have stated that if it were not for the farmers there would be no erosion problems in New Zealand. Mr. A. H. Marshall had written- to Mr. Newnham, asking if this statement was correct or was merely a statement divorced from the rest of the context and thus gave a false impression. Mr. Marshall said he had become tired of reading sweeping statements blaming the farmer for everything. There was erosion in some districts before the arrival of the white man and were it not for the farmer there would be no production today. The matter had also been referred to him by other farmers so he had written a personal letter to Mr. Newnham. “I made it clear in my evidence that the problem had, to a great, extent, been *created by the methods which had been adopted to develop the country,” stated Mr. Newnham. “The farmer was no more to blame than any other section of the community. All sections had endorsed and approved the methods of land development used by him. Accelerated erosion processes were undoubtedly unwittingly set in motion by the methods adopted, but as against’ this millions of acres of fertile soil were made available for settlement. These acres could not have been brought in by any other methods, and in many of them no erosion problem exists. “Portions of* the statement were hurriedly prepared at short notice by members of the staff and some of it could no doubt have been more clearly and carefully expressed if there had been time to revise it,” stated the letter. "However, the evidence will be circulated to catchment boards as soon as the council has approved of it at its next meeting. I think you will find that it sets out the whole position quite fairly. "You will also see that it is the intention of the council to assist the former in every way possible to overcome some of the difficulties created for him by erosion.

“The council feels that the only way the problems can be satisfactorily solved is by means of complete co-operation with the farmer himself and adequate financial assistance for him,”

Food Parcels Arrived "Information has been received that the vessel Norfolk, carrying 19,402 gift parcels weighing 193,0051 b.. arrived in the United Kingdom on January 24. This shipment represents postings from December 9 to 22 in the southern half of the North Island. Gisborne and New Plymouth district,” reported the acting Chief Postmaster yesterday.