DRIFTING TOWNWARDS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 March 1910, Page 2

DRIFTING TOWNWARDS.

THE TROUBLE OF THE SAMJ DUXES. a reaiTperil. interview with the mayor, The question of the sand dunes at Hokio beach was resurrected at the Inst meeting of th<> Levin Borough Council, and. as the matter is one of great importance t<) the district, a representative of the "Chronicle" interviewed tho Mayor O'l' B. R. Gardener), who gave some very interesting facts in connection with the matter. Ft will he recollected that the subject was brought forward some months ago by the Borough Council, who appointed q. committee to wait upon thhe County Council to give them the assurance that tliev wore prepared to afford them all the assistance possible in removing the great evils caused by Hivj constant drifting of the sands. The matter was taken up by both bodies, and so as to get an idea as to what shrubs were suitable for planting on the drifts, a visit was made by the combined bodies to the property of Mr W. H. Field, M.P., >t Wnikanae. The parties were driven to the beach by the member for the district, and practical proof was given of lupins growing on the sand, and the valuable assistance they had been to stopping the drifts. Since that period the local_ authorities have evidently been waiting patiently for a visit' from 'mi , Joseph Ward to Levin, to demonstrate to him how rapid have boon the invasions of the drifts. Up to the present time the Premier has not been able to visit Levin, and l-he prO]K)sition made on Wednesdny evening was suggested with the endeavour to place the whole subject before him.

ACQUIRING NATIVE LANDS. Asked as to what his proposals would be. tbe Mayor said that one <)f the most npcpssnry objects to he obtained was the acquiring of tho Witive Inmls on tbe coast. A few years ago, when the Royal Commission sat in Levin to consider tlio question of tlio ownership of Horowheitua Block, some thousand of •icres were set aside as absolute waste land. Since that period a considerable area has been devoured bv the sand, and fro minqniries, the Natives, it seems, are willing to dispose of tlieir portions at n nominal fee. Once they were acquired lupin could be grown quite easily. Asked as to what the area would be, the Mayor replied that it would bo something like 2000 acres. '• Ts there any immediate hurry over the question," asked tho "Chronicle" representative. The Mayor replied with emphasis. There was hurry, undoubtedly hurry. Each ve.nr, be- said, acres and acres of land were beine invaded. "One need," he said, "only 20 back ten vears, without anv fear of contradiction, 'lid he would find that 500 acres of really good land bad been turned iiiito a desert." "Of course," said the reporter, "You are really embodying tho views of the older residents?" The Mayor admitted that this was so. and instanced the case of the McDonald family, who could give instances where the sand nowcovered acres after acres of land that were once good grass growing paddocks.

A VAST DESERT. Again the question had presented itself that if the sand drifts were not stopped it would only be a question of time before the intervening country between the coast line and the lake would be one vast desert. That this view was not an exaggeration could be proved by anyone glancing from the town", where it could be seen the sand drifts were coming rapidly onward. " AVhat," queried the reporter, "is your view of staying the progress of_ tho drifts?" "My idea," said the Mayor, "is to plant a belt of trees—lupins—as near the beach as possible, so as to work towards the town. Jt had. been proved that no difficulty in regard to plantation of all kinds of trees would be met with. On Mr Field's property they saw many specimens of the gum, walnut, and line, and shrubs, all of which made splendid progress." " What do you estimate the cost of this would be?" asked the reporter. The Mayor replied that he saw no difficulty in the way whatever. How could they better utilise the money voted in the last session of Parliament— £10,000— than by re-claiming an area already lost and thousands of acres about to be destroyed? If the matter were placed in an intelligent and practical manner before the Cabinet, he felt satisfied there would be no difficulty in obtaining a substantial grant.

The newspaper man askeil the Mayor why the matter lia<l not i)cen taken in hand before, and tho Mayor admitted that the question should have been handled, years iifto. He, like many other persons of Levin, never anticipated in tho past that it would be so necessary to safeguard every bit of land." Xb doubt difficulties with the Natives over tlio- Horowhenua Block had something to do with the ignoring of the subject.

PROTECTING NATIVE INTERESTS. " Rut," interjected the newspaper man, " you must have .some practical idtti to put before the Government before it will be prepared to take steps in the matter." - "Yes," replied the Mayor, "that is so. We shall have a practical scheme, to put before Ministers." " Aα a matter of fact, you will I>p protecting the Native interests as well as those of the town?" " Yes, precisely. On the sea beach at Waikanae there is a Chinaman's garden consisting of 00 or 70 acres. This land is just behind the dunes, and. had it not been planted with trees it would have been a desert." Although the question may seem to be a matter of local interest alone, the fact cannot be disputed that it is a national one. and the Horough Council is to be congratulated on briiurimr the question forward as it affects almost every <nstrict in proximity to tbe sea in New Zealand.