WORLD PEACE SUGGESTED IN FULL STOMACHS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 100, 20 February 1950, Page 5

WORLD PEACE SUGGESTED IN FULL STOMACHS

A different angle, but by no means a new one, of following in the work for world peace was provided by Mr C. Greeves, president of the Hamilton Branch of the Home Servicemen’s Association, and a member of the New Zealand Home Servicemen’s Association’s Agricultural Action Committee, during a visit to Whakatane. Instead of spending huge sums on arming Mr Greeves urged that nations should spend money on providing more food for the world’s peoples. Peace through a healthy contented people or through full stomachs, was the path that might be followed, he added. Agricultural Industry

Mr Greeves said that the committee of which he was,a member was engaged in studying the economic possibilities of the agricultural industry in New Zealand. It had beenset up to encourage greater economical development of all available land with a view to improving and increasing food supplies. It was a huge subject and the further one studied the more one uncovered. They had investigated the health of the soil in New Zealand, Mr Greeves continued, and the committee had come to the conclusion that New Zealanders along with other peoples were not treating their land properly. Erosion was taking a heavy toll and through it this country was losing thousands of pounds worth of food a year. Allied with erosion but under another heading, Mr Greeves mentioned precipitation as another danger to New Zealand farming land. This meant the holding of moisture in the soil. In Taranaki, he said, it had been proved that over the years there was not so much water in the soil. Well diggers in that province today had to dig deeper to strike water than 50 years ago.

It was possible that the misuse of the land was now being mirrored in the present diseases suffered by animals and the people. Too much use of artificial manures and less use of natural fertilisers might be causing different diseases to breed in the soil. The action committee was investigating this but had still a long way to go before it could present anything concrete Mr Greeves said.

Mixed Farming Although ignored by old farmers mixed farming was now beginning to catch on Mr Greeves continued. Scientists were finding out now that what some animals took out of the soil other animals replaced. The same applied to cropping. By adopting mixed farming and rotational cropping farmers and gardeners were helping to keep the cycle of nature in motion as it was meant to move.

The committee, Mr Greeves added, was formed in a genuine hope that it might be able to do some good and assist New Zealand farmers to improve their farming and increase the supply of food. At present a tremendous amount of valuable information had been uncovered.