The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, MAY 23, 1910. "THE OLD MAX OF THE SEA."

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 May 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, MAY 23, 1910. "THE OLD MAX OF THE SEA."

Siniiad tho Sailor, whoso story is teJd in " The Arabian Nights, had a most disconcerting adventure when he bee an Mi acquainted' with an "old man of 'tlio sea," who established himself 011. Sin'bad's hack aiul maintained Jiis place thero until that fictitious sailor's very existence became a haive to him. Eventually the "old man of the sea" was got rid of, and Sin bad, after further surprising adventures reached a hale and hearty old age. It was .a many, many years ago that the story of Sinhad was written, hint the allegory is as truo to-day as it was then, and there aro not only sailor moil, but wholo communities which hear heavy burdens comparable to that of Sinbad. To take one homely ease, we may cito the sanddrift trouble, by which the prosperity of Horowlien.ua, County is seriously threatened. It has been mentioned in these columns already that although tlio inland "creep" of the loose sand goes on persistently, tlio remedy is not difficult of application,; and that convincing proofs of effective remedial measures are to be seen- on the property of Mr u. H. Field aft Waikanae, and 011 various other parts of the sea coast between Waikanae, Otaki, Levin and Foxton. The target at which this article is aimed is the £10,000 vote made by th'o New Zealand Parliament, last session, for the assistance of any works deemed to be of urgent national necessity. " The Horowhenua Chronicle " would again submit that all New Zealand is economically involved in tlio waste of arable land—to the extent of thousands of acres—that has been going on along tin's coast for many years past. Between Otaki and Levin thero are fann lands worth from £40 to £50 per acre in th'o open market, and it is no figure of speech (to say that soil of this quality extends from the foothills right across to the coast. Bult there is little of the coast land cultivated to-day; practically over the whole of its length it is covered by sand to a great

depth, 'and the inland drift of tho sand has been so insistent that 'thousands of acres that once were rich pastoral lands, yielding local and general revenues, arb covered to-day by deep layers of winds that inovo in and in, day by day, in default of proper .bars to thoir invasion. 'o'n any windy day, when tho breezes blow from the sea, one may observe the wind-blown sand moving inland from Holcio beach. Art, the sa.ino time, one may mark, also, the effective barrier interposed to its progress by tho sturdy and deeprooted lupins that have established themselves on one of the higher sandhills, and which .plants, by drawing sustenance from the original soil, deep down (which their deep-rooting habits allow them to do) have built up a natural fascine of thick trunks which effectually arrests the sand drifts. The Premier was approached by the local bodies of Horowhenua County, about a month ago, with a request that the Government should do something to expedite application of an effective remedy. Sir Joseph undertook to have the whole matter gone into by tho proper department, and no doubt this is being done. Tt is, however, timo that some public announcement on 'tho result of these inquiries should lie made. There is no cessation of endeavour on the part of the sand drifts, and every mouth that passes results in an extra encroachment on the arable lands. Tho local bodies that approached the Government showed a commendable regard for 'the district's true interests, both last month and on previous occasions. But are they prepared with their own plans for carrying out a sch'ome? Tt may be that they are so prepared ; this paper is only enquiring. The fact remains, that immediate application of a remedy is desirable, and it seems to us that provided the local authorities were prepared with comprehensive details for the carrying out of a

joinifc scheme some valuable time would be savod. If it were assumed by these bodies that the Government would grant £500 or £1000, and that certain other .sums would be contributed -by the respective County Councils, a tat of preliminary delta.il could bo worked out by their executive officers, to the end that all necessary seed buying and sowing could be done, without low of time at the most favourable season. by the simple matter of sending off a few telegrams and of notifying suitable men whose services would bo necessary.