OUR LAND PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 53, 26 November 1926, Page 3

OUR LAND PROBLEM

Sir,—l was much interested in reading a letter over the signature of Mr. F. G. Moore, of "Bushy Park,” giving suggestions for dealing with the deteriorated and undeveloped lands in this country. There is not the slightest doubt that if a commission were set up as suggested by Mr. Moore to make a report it would lie shown that very large areas upon which great sums of money have been expended are to-day absolute wastes. Now that the decayed vegetation and potash from the tires are exhausted it is evident that the land i« of the poorest class, and a great mistake was made in denuding it of the natural forest, which was its only asset in protecting lands on the lower levels from disastrous flooding as well as keeping it immune from the multiplication of pests of various kinds. Much of it is steep country, and has slipped badly until for all practical purposes it is as barren as, the Sahara, and the only thing to do is to leave it severely nlone. . , The untouched bush lands, including the gum lands up north, can contribute nothing to relieve the strained condt. tions existing when file present-day costs of making such poor land productive are taken into account. We hear a lot about cheaper manures as being the antidote for the natural poverty that is writ large over tho face of such country as mentioned above, but any slight reduction as may bo possible to make in fertilisers would be as a drop in the ocean compared to the difficulties that would confront the users of such land, which is totally unfit, for intense farming.. It is realiv humorous to hear the Ministers of Lands and Agriculture preaching the gospel of intense farming and greater production, and in rhe next breath advocating tho spending of large sums on barren wastes in an experiment to try and make them grow something. They are simply beating the air, and apparently have failed to diagnose the country’s direst need. With the decreasing values of all our primary products the vital necessity is cheaper money right now, if it can be found for such schemes it certainly should be available for the most pressing need of bringing the occupied lands up to the fullest productive capacity. Thousands of farmers are hanging on in sheer desperation, hoping that the Government will awake to the necessity of beginning at the right end of the trouble and provide the sinews of war for the farmers, who have occupied the front trenches during a long struggle against inflated laud values, dear money and high cost of commodities (and who are rightly described as the backbone of our industrial prosperity) to . produce the wealth s.) necessary to retrieve tins country from tho state of. stagnation into which it is rapidly falling. It is asserted that the farmer docs not know his job, and needs educating, but this is not so. The fact is the handicap is too great, and when be asks for bread be is offered a stone in the shape of an agricultural college. Those who believe tiie establishment of such an, institution is the star in the industrial firmament on. which to hitch their wagon will be disappointed, as its influence is destined to be a negligible quantity for years to come. The pre-sing need of the hour is cheaper money to increase production ami swell the volume of. our exports. Such wild-cat sc.mmes as those being promulgated by some of our legislators can only result in failure and add to the number of unpaid farmers who are expected to contribute largely to the sum of the country’s wealth, and thus provide the daily manna on which the million waits for sustenance.—l am, etc., A. E. PEARCE, IVaituna West, November 24, 1926.