Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1920, Page 2

liiiK variety oi subjects to which the Westland Chamber of Commerce directs attention for the benefit of tho district is much to be appreciated. At the meeting on. Tuesday night there was a paper, on “Grass,” prepared by Mr W. J. Butler, one of our most far-seeing citizens. 'Mr Butler has done a good service in thus calling attention to a subject which in reality is the backbone of the pastoral pursuits of tile community. Without feed for ,the stock, the quality, however good the strain, cannot be brought out, while industrially tho quantity and quality alike of the milk must be affected if the feed is not there all round the year. There is of course the need for cultivation of the land. This is essential, but it is not everything. The farmer requires to sow the right kind of seed so that the crop will be prolific. ' In a climate such I as this the right kind of grass has yet I to be determined upon, in order to get the best out of the land, and give the full return for the labor put into the ground, and something more' than labor must be put into the ground. Lime lias its great value up to a certain point, but sooner or inter, however, effective lime might be for a period, the land itself requires fertilising. In other parts of New Zealand where stock raising flourishes, settlers have had to realise fully the necessary treatment of tlie land, to get the best results in food products. Here, a similar process is proceeding. To fell the bush, secure a good burn, sow grass seed and leave nature to do the rest, is the cardinal rule of settlement procedure. But nature so kindly busy while she may, soon exhausts herself, and requires artificial aid to keep on producing grass. The settlers need tho fullest enlightment under this head, and the suggestion for properly controlled experiments to the 1 end in view is most opportune. It is a good idea, too, to interest the rising generation in the life and nature of grasses. It will be a very practical side of schooi gardening, and'will be most useful knowledge to carry out into the world. Tho information can lie gleamed at the right end of life and will servo a good purpose for future practical application. The subject of grass growing, common though it may appear, is one of great moment actually to. the whole community.

The question of the paper-shortage all over the world is now very acute. In the northern hemisphere where the consumption is so vast, both in the Old World and the New, the shortage is very striking indeed. This stringency reflects in the southern hemisphere, \which draws its supplies from the. other side of the world. A country such as New. Zealand blessed with so many classes of timber could certainly find material enough to enter into the business, of paper making on a large scale. The West Coast for instance,

contains many miles of country carrying light timber which is said to be just the article needed for conversion into pulp for paper making. There should be also sawdust to be considered, for in England evperiments have been made successfully in the manufacture cf paper from sawdust. These facts suggest the great possibilities of New Zealand entering into the manufacturing

business and supplying to some extent the article to meet the pressing demands of the day. The late Mr Soddon. several years ago, sent from the Kokatahi district, samples of local timber which on the continent of Europe were converted into good white paper suitable for printing or wrapping purposes. Later a Canterbury syndicate promoted a company to establish paper mills in the Taipo district, and secured

a large tract of; birch country over which to operate. Material sent to Europe at the time was made into marketable paper, and steps for the establishment of the business were in progress just as the war broke out, and stopped the enterprise. There is not finy move in the matter just at present, and tint Westlapd Chamber of Commerce has asked the Government to consider the question and disclose its policy regarding the establishment of paper mills, or to indicate what faciiir ties would be given in the way of subiSidy or rights to enable private entei- ■ prise to take up such a project. Not only is there unlimited timber of suit-(

able nature on the Coast, but in most ! cases the power can be harnessed in tlie j back country to drive the machinery re- j quired. Nature again lias been lavish j in her gifts, and if the capital, were • hero to reap the harvest, a splendid | opening is available for investment which would at the same time meet the demand for a most necessary article in daily consumption.