Labour Leader's Attack On Catchment Boards

Chronicle (Levin), 20 August 1949, Page 6

Labour Leader's Attack On Catchment Boards

Press Association)

(Per

WELLINGTON, August 19. A stout defence of the findings of the Sheep Industry. Commission on soil ero9ion in New Zealand farmlands was -made in the Legislafive Council this afternoon by Hon. E. Eddy (Wellington) who was a, member of the Commission. , He said that maps examined.by the Commission showing allegedly eroded areas were quite wrong iri many instances and a gross exaggeration of the true' position. The tactless -methoda adopted by some catchment ' ■ board officers had antagonised farmers. The erosion problem was nothing like as represented by "catchment board propaganda. " Mr. Eddy believed that with the cooperation of the Works Department and county councils erosion could be prevented without the need for catchment boards sending men out with theodolites and theories. 1 ' Catehment boards are the best propagandists in the world," he added. "The Communist Party has nothing on them. They purport to be the friend of the f&rmer, hut when a man comes along and says he has power to take a couple of your paddocks without compensation, it is liable to make anyone see a little red." N He had noticed that one catchment board inembef had said that if they did not get sonie -money they would have to close down, said Mr. Eddy. That might be a good way of getting rid • of them. . He acknowledged that catchment boards had done a good job, particularly in. CanteTbury, Manawatu and on the East Coast, but he considered nothing -they had done could not have been accomplisbed by cooperation btween the Works Department, county councils and farmers. Mr. Eddy einphasised the need for spreading superphosphate on the high country in order to encourage new growth after pests had been controlled, and urged the need for more labour, roads and modern amenities, ineluding electricity. Much relief could come from the pool account in which farmers alleged there was £43,000,000. The low country fariner relied greatly on the supply of sheep for fattening from the high country, therefore the high country men had a legitimate claim upon the pool account'. Hon. F. Waite (Balclutha) agreed with Mr. Eddly on the question of erosion, asserting that such propaganda was a boomerang "thrown back on the theoreticians by the Commission." He advocated the utmost supplies of lime and superphosphate for the hill country and considere.l that the Soil Conservation Council and most of the catchment boqrds had done a good job.