NATIONAL STAMINA

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9520, 8 May 1940, Page 3

NATIONAL STAMINA

15 RACE DEGENERATION EVIDENT MENACE OF SOIL EROSION TIME FOR CONCERTED ACTION It has been authoritatively statei that indications of race degeneration are already in evidence in Nev Zealand. Whether this be so or no at the present time may be a debatable point, but nevertliless, as surolj as night follows day, such a, happening is the natural outcome of sob deterioration. Tlie fact that, ovei the larger part of the Dominion the top soil has lost its former richness is now generally recognised. Pastoralists find that the carrying capacity of many holdings has been considerably reduced during the last ten or fifteen years and that the stamina and health of their stock is progressively decreasing. Man depends upon the products of healthy soil to give him health and virility, states the current issue of “Forest and Bird,” official organ of the Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand (Inc.). RACE DESTRUCTION The process of unchecked soil deterioration, resulting from sheet erosion, leads steadily down-hill to an ever-decreasing- standard of living, a lack of force of character and of will to fight and work, ending Anally in race destruction. Some of the many unmistakable signs of race deterioration are, strange to say, the encroachment by women upon what were men’s domains in occupation and sport, the division of a nation into warring or quarrelling sections, and many other symptoms not noticed because they come about gradually. Innumerable instances of this tendency to divide into antagonistic sections and then sub-sections are to be found on all sides, from capital vesus labour down to every little village affair. Only a minority judges any matter with a national outlook. We have a notable instance at present of this sectional outlook in the controversy on wild life management or “control” as some people put it. Here we have those bodies who are interested in receiving the revenue from the taking or killing of fish and game, which are national property supported on the productivity of tlie soil, opposing a proposal which is aimed mainly at benefiting the hunters and fishermen whom these bodies claim to represent (presumably because the law says that licenses must at present be paid to them).

BLUNDERS OF THE PAST In addition, the executive of these bodies, who are elected by a very few license holders, seem to presume that they are the only section to be considered in the matter, regardless of the people as a whole, who, if they did not know it, are all more vitally affected, including the men on the land. The taxpayer does the paying, directly, by attempting to lessen the menace of mammals in our forests, and indirectly by the loss caused by extensive accelerated erosion accompanied by periodical excessive flbods. These, in turn, are partly due to grave past blunders in' the acclimatising of such creatures as deer. Many other factors with even more serious damaging powers, such as fire, over-grazing, mis—placed settlement, unscientific and injudicious timber-milling, work actively in cooperation in the destruction of Nature’s preventive against excessive erosion, namely, the natural protective vegetation, be it forest or tussock. So the innumerable sections continue to war and quarrel, and get no further ahead, but rather go backward so far as the national wellbeing is concerned.

BRITON SLOW TO MOVE

The Britisher is, however, always slow to move against wrongs and evils. He will suffer long and enduringly, but any day his national conscience may be aroused, and when this has happened he has been known to act at times in an extremely drastic manner, even to the cutting off of a king’s head. One day, perhaps as the result of the everincreasing damage caused by successive abnormal floods, the New Zealander will bestir himself. Then be will say, “Avaunt, self-seeking sections! Our country and its resources are for the nation and its children and children’s children.” When the New Zealander acts thus it may confidently be said that the race in New Zealand is not degenerating.

Ou tlie recommendation of its lands committee the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association resolved that in the investigation and use of the manpower of the Dominion provision should be made to ensure that adequate, ellieient and intelligent farm labour be made available for the national effort foi increased production during the Avar. It was decided that the association’s executive should confer with farmers’ organisations to assist in effect being given to the resolution.