DETERIORATED LANDS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 53, 26 November 1926, Page 12

DETERIORATED LANDS

> HON. 0. J. HAWKEN’S SUGGESTION BY Telegraph.—Pbes l ? association Whangarei, November 25. The Hou. O. J. Hawken, speaking at the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce dinner to-night, referred to the deteriorated lands, and said it would be better that such lands be planted with trees. He was in favour of seeing land in the Dominion producing something, and advocated bringing in swamp lands to a state of productivity. If the Government could help in any way to obtain the desired object, he, as Minister of Agriculture, would use his best endeavours on that behalf. Mr. Hawken referred to the high costs of farming, and said that he would do his best to reduce the same. He realised as a farmer what men on the land were up against, and would do his best to help the genuine trier to make a do of things. Mr. Hawken went on to tell those present his own experiences, and said that he was convinced that as far as sheep and fat lambs were concerned the southern parts of New Zealand would have to look to their laurels, otherwise the north would soon outstrip them as far as prime mutton was concerned. He paid a high tribute to the north generally and how it had progressed during the last few years. He anticipated that in the very near future it would vie with the most flourishing districts in the Dominion.