DETERIORATED LANDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1926, Page 4

DETERIORATED LANDS.

THE RENEWAL OF PASTURES IN WESTLAND.

Tlio Deteriorated. Lauds Act of 1925 was passed principally with the object of dealing successfully with certain deteriorated lands in the North Island. Fortunately in Westland we have a few public-spirited men always on the look out for anything that would prove of advantage to Westland. First let me give you a few extracts from tho above Act. It was entitled:—“An Act to make Provision for the Relief of the Occupier of certain Crown and other lands in respect to hardship due to the deterioration of such lands or to their national lack of productivity.” Section 5 (1) of the Act reads:—“The owner or occupier of any land subject to tho Act. may at any time, not later than the 30th June, 1920, make application in the prescribed form addressed to tho Commissioner of Crown Lands, for the district in which such land is situated, for relief under the provisions of tiliis Act ;” and Section 5 (e) :—“ln the ease of application for advances under section eleven hereof it (the special Revaluation Committee) may recommend what advances (if any) should be made, and for what purpose.”

Section eleven says:—“Financial assistance in accordance with this section may be granted by way of loan to occupiers of land subject to this Act for the purchase of fencing material, lime or manure, or to assist the occupiers to defray any capital expenditure.”

All moneys advanced by the Minister under the authority of this section should hear interest at such rate as

may he prescribed and shall he secured by way of mortgage over the lands in respect of which the application is made or over the applicant’s interest in such land. 1 have been asked what effect will the provisions of this Act have on the Koiternngi and Ross Lime Companies. AVill it tend to'lower the land values oil the West Coast?

There are no grounds whatever for any misgivings of this nature. I understand that the intention of the authorities is that, lor the present at all events, the Act will apply only to Crown holdings, and that only a very few isolated places will he brought under tho provisions of the Act. These properties which are treated will increase' in value, and it is impossible to suppose that the action to he taken in these eases' will have any effect oil the value of the remaining areas of farm land in Westland. The position with regard to these remaining lands is precisely the same in Westland as in every other rural district ill the Dominion. A large proportion of all oilirural lands have gone hack more or less for the want of lime and iertilisers, and the applicaiitiou of nitrate cultures to the soil, and there is not the slightest, doubt that a vigorous policy of fertilisation and intensive cultivation would enormously stimulate our primary industries and usher in a new era of production and in a very short period of time, revitalise the financial prosperity of tho whole Dominion.

Recently Sir I'rank Heath in an address to the Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, referred to the necessity of more production in New Zealand, lie considered that now is the linv? to get: on with the means of better production through tin. l medium of scientific research. More production is the best counter to lower prices, and the cost is nothing compared with the results.

When the Minister of Lands wax asked at Hokitika recently for assistance in the carriage of lime and fertiliser to ,'■ninth Westland settlers, ho said that there was no need to teach farmers the value of liming their land. Top dress your pastures and so reduce vonr cultivation costs. The dairy in.rmer cannot afford to neglect topdressing. S'ir H. Beauchamp, Chairman of Directors of the Rank of New Zealand, recently warned us that wo should expect strenuous times ahead, money would he scarce and investors would on’ canny. We had a visit from Mr W. Peniher Reeves a lew weeks hack, and he advised increased production to combat lower prices. The Tlon O. .1. TTrnvkeii (Minister of Agriculture) said a great deal of deteriorated lands could he brought hack to profit. He believes that the solution is manuring, -hut the problem is to get. the manures cheap enough, and to borrow the necessary money at a low enough rate ot interest. He expressed the opinion that persons holding mortgages over this class of land would be wise to help by the manner in which they dealt with the borrowers. In this uay the lenders would he helping themselves. ] I am., etc., j JOHN MURDOCH. : Ross, June Ist. !