OUR FARMING PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 46, 18 November 1926, Page 8

OUR FARMING PROBLEMS

SUGGESTED WAYS OF IMPROVING MATTERS. Sir,— Believing that it is the wish of those in authority to gain any information which may assist towards (he solu linn of our land problems, may I ven turo to make a few suggestions? 1 think a small commission of practical men. including successful pastoral iste, agriculturists, fru.it growers and forestry experts, should inspect nnd draw up a report upon all the land in the Dominion which is at present unproductive. . , , , , , All land now in standing bush should be classified as under:—(a) Worth felling : (b) not worth felling. All felled land which is now unproductive shoud be classed as follows :,(:0 Land which is not worth going on with nnd which should bo allowed Ip go hack into its natural state; (b) country which might be suitable for afforestation, fruit

growing, or other purposes, which may be specified; (a) country which is good for farming, or pastoral purposes, but which, through lack of capital, want of knowledge, or other reasons, has been allowed to go back. Under Inis head would come areas of good land where noxious weeds, gorse, etc., have been permitted to take possession. When this had been done we wouru have a good, sound base from which to develop our land policy. Probably the commission which fairly recentlv made a report on soldier settlers. and other Government tenants, would already have a good deal of this information, and some of it could be obtained from old surveys. The suggested commission would also be able to collect a great deal of valuable data re facilities of access to various parts of the country, and state where money could be advantageously spent in this direction. It would in addition be able to give valuable advice to farmers throughout the area traversed. In cases where Hardworking, deserving farmers with limited capital are trying to make a living off unsuitable land the Government might assist them to get on to better land on easy terms. 'The policy of the Department should be to encourage as much as possible the proper and fullest development of all suitable land which is already felled. When that is done good bush land could be dealt with. It is well known that one of the chief reasons why so much bush land in New Zealand has gone back is because it has been felled in too large areas. To keep new bush country in order it must be subdivided into as small blocks or paddocks as the nature of the land permits in order te keep down fern and second growth, such subdivision to. be made as soon after the burn as possible. There would be found manv cases where a little money advanced to farmers would enable them to get wire and other materials with which to advantageously fence their properties. The cost of such a commission need not be great, for I am sure many of ■jr ablest men would give their services free of charge in such a good cause. All employment given by the Government should be on work which will be reproductive. And all relief works should be carried out on a schedule which provides that each man be paid ■ceording to his capacity to do the work. Loafing by able-bodied men should be discouraged in every way, and no assistance should lie given to them either by the Government or any other organisation. This is a. veiy big question, but in this letter I think I have touched upon some of the most important points. I know it is easy to make suggestions, but sometimes not so easy to carry them out.—l am, etc., G. F. MOORE. Bushy Park.