FARMERS’ PLIGHT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20119, 13 December 1939, Page 8

FARMERS’ PLIGHT

GALATEA SETTLEMENT TWO BAD SEASONS MEN READY TO LEAVE Two deputations which waited on the Minister of Lands, the Hon. F. Langstone,' in Rotorua, gave the Minister a good insight into the difficulties faced by farmers at present on land administered by his department. The chief of these deputations was of three members of the Galatea Settlers' Association who sought investigation into the conditions of the lands at the settlement and relief from payments to the Crown. The members of the deputations were Messrs. N. D. Jones, H. Jackson and J. Gould. The settlers were confronted with hardships as the result of two bad seasons, stated Mr. Jones: First the facial eczema, then the dry summer, resulted in loss of stock and in the deterioration of the grass. The English grasses had been burnt out and all that was left was sweet vernol, trefoil, and danthonia. The settlers were planting lucerne, but it would be two; years before it would be ready, and in the meantime the settlers -were ' wondering what they would have'to live on. There were many of them who had not received a penny from their cream cheques for several months. Stocking of Sections Referring to figures from the Lands Department, Mr.. Langstone stated that Galatea was never intended to carry the number of cows that some of the sections had at present. Members of the deputations stated that they had*at first followed the advice as regards carrying capacity given by the Commissioner of Crown Lands when they took over the properties. These figures had been based on better seasons which the original sharemilkers experienced. Settlers admitted that certain sections would carry more than others.

Reviewing what had already been done for farmers on the settlement, the Minister stated that he too, had responsibilities and had had difficulty in the past in justifying some of the assistance he had authorised.

“I do not know of any other farmers milking 40 cows under conditions such as you have, who are unable to make things pay,” stated the Minister.

“We none of us want to leave Galatea, but there are two ready to leave now after three years,” Mr. Jones said. “Not a Hopeless Area”

In giving details about the quantity of top-dressing to be used at Galatea, Mr. R. L. Innis, supervisor of land development in the Auckland district, stated that last summer he saw better stock at Galatea than in the Waikato. These were from the few culled herds in the district, Mr. Jones replied.

An assurance that the pastures would return to normal was given by Mr. Innes. Galatea was not a hopeless dairying area, he added. With a farm of 100 acres, of which 10 were in lucerne, and with 40 cows, a man must be successful.

The deputation stated that the settlers were busily engaged in planting lucerne, but it would not be established for about two years. One member said that he had ploughed 30 acres with a single-furrow plough getting up at daylight so that a neighbour could have the use of the plough after breakfast; he in turn would pass it on to another in the afternoon. While they were doing this work, it was necessary for their wives to do the milking. Mr. Langstone gave an assurance that the matter would be discussed with his officers and that the demand might be postponed of some of the charges due to the Crown. The department had no wish to see any of the settlers leave the district, he added. Work For Settlers The other deputation was from three settlers from Ngakuru, one of whom claimed that he had been one of the original settlers who pioneered the district from tussock 14 years ago. They stated that bad seasons resulting in death of stock had reduced them to such a state that they were able only to meet their commitments and they were left with nothing to live on. They requested that they should be permitted to work on tire development scheme at Ngakuru to tide them over a few difficult months. The Minister replied that the only thing they could do was to go to the placement office unless they could arrange a subsidy for development work on their own farms. He was unable to make arrangements for work on the scheme behind the back of the placement officer.