SAND DRIFTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1526, 23 August 1912, Page 9

SAND DRIFTS.

A PROBLEM AT LEVIN. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE , PROMISED. \ — ; Mntfur.s affecting ihe interests of (he borough of Levin and the surrounding district were brought under tho notice of tho Hon. W. F. Mnssey (Prime Minister) on Wednesday by a deputation, consisting °f -ill'- R. I!. Gardener (.Mayor of Levin) and Mr. K. S. Lancaster (president of (he l/Ovin Chamber of Commerce). It was introduced by Mr. J. Robertson, M.P. Ml'. Gardener said that sand-drifts from l tho beaches near Levin were making lieadway inland, and creating a great, deal of waste land, if the process went oil for any long period, the sand-drifts would ' soon'reach the lake. Much of the land I was owned by Natives. It could be ao ■ quired at a cheap rate, and could readily > ba turned into good pasturage. In his opinion, it would suffice, to slay t.liu pro- | gress of the sand-drifts if the Govern- > ment acquired and dealt with an area of 2000 acres. The land could be acquired < probably for from 3s. to 7s. lid. im acre. I Land had been successfully reclaimed ■ from sand-dritts in America, and the ■ same could be done here. Mr. Lancaster said that residents of ' Levin and the adjacent district took this matter very seriously. He had been a : resident of Levin for 21 years, and in that period the sand-drifts had increased from an area of chains to miles. Good grass land and a patch of-native laisli had been swallowed up. Trees grew well in tho sand-drift land once it was reclaimed. «' Mr. Gardener remarked that the deputation also wished to raise the question of land-settlement. It had been neglected in tho past. Land that could havo been acquired some years ago for .£lO or »Cl 5 an aero would now cost three times that price. There were blocks of 500 and COO acres of dairying country which the owners woro willing to sell. If the Government. sent up an ollicer ho could inspect these areas and also the sand-drifts. In supporting tile request, Mr. Lancaster said that Levin depended on its small farmers and the settlers round about considered that it was time that the Government should acquire some of the large blocks in the neighbourhood. Mr. Robertson said that it was true, as Mr. Lancaster had said, that sout'j. of ■ Levin there was country thickly settled, and in a high state of cultivation, while to the north thero were largo bare ex- ■ panses suitable for cutting up. Tliero .was one block of 1200 acres, of Native land held at present by two Europeans. The whole of the district was languishing for clcso settlement. Mr. Massey said that he happened to know what a serious matter Hand-drift encroachment was. Ho had seen it on the AVest Coast of the Auckland province. Ho had seen there just what the members of the deputation had described —paddocks overwhelmed by sand-drifts. 11l one place he had seen a lake filled up, and in another place a telegraph line covored. The encroachment of sand could be stopped, and should be stopped. He would send an officer up to Levin to inspect the sand-drifts, and report as to whether the Government could do something by way of remedy. The pcilicy of the Government in'administering the Land Settlement Act was to acquire land for dairy fnrrftinp rather' than for sheep-farming. This policy would be continued. Tho difficult}' ill the present case seemed to be. the very nigh value of the land. ITI I would ask Mr. Ritchie (chairman of the Land Purchase Commissioners) either to visit tho district personally or send up a representative and furnish a report. Until h? got tho report he could do nothing, but the policy ot the, Government was to push closer settlement wherever it was possible to do it. Mr.. Robertson thanked the Prime Minister for receiving the deputation, and for his satisfactory reply.