THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motta: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1929. THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA AND AFFORESTATION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5379, 25 January 1929, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motta: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1929. THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA AND AFFORESTATION.

Considerable opposition has been aroused by the Government proposal to set aside certain Cr.own lands on the Coromandel Peninsula, for afforestation purposes. The wisdom of this, suggestion has been questioned by the local authorities concerned, and it is to be hoped the Minister of Lands will give his careful consider,ati,on to the matter before deciding definitely. The general consensus of opinion among men who arc in the best position to judge is that these areas are in every way suitable for grazing and general farming purposes. Some of this country is already capable of. carrying sheep ; the breaking in of the more hilly ground being merely a matter of time and judicious management. The farmers of the Hauraki Plains have for some time past been in the habit of using portions of the acreage under discussion for absolutely essential winter grazing for their stock, so that it would be disastrous in the extreme if these lands so vital to them should be earmarked for afforestation. With so much waste land unsuitable for; farming except at • a tremendous initial outlay of capital, but eminently suitable for afforestation, lying idle in the centre of the North Island, it would appear almost criminal to penalise people who by their own individual efforts are striving to bring into use splendid land that the Government apparently looks askance onWith the help of a little co-operation settlers are .willing and desirous of opening, up the Coromandel country : they know what is there, and that the* land won would well repay their efforts, of losing valuable potential pasture land that is already half won, the department should render these men practical assistance to establish control. Rathei; let the Lands Department turn its attentionto Taupo and afforestation. There, despite arguments, to the contrary by the late Government, lies land that the majority who know go&d farming country when they see it deem utterly unfit for anything of the sort. The general public has been informed that exper.ts, on examining this territory, have pronounced it capable of .being turned to pastoral use ; but, at what a cost! and after such years of labour ; and even then the result doubtful. On this subject one would prefer, to take the opinion of the eminently practical farmer as against that of the theoretical scientist, gratefully acknowledging, of c.ourse at the same time the wplnd’erful assistance the latter has rendered the farming community. The fact remains that the uses, of Taupo lands for farming in the future—and future imjeed it is, as no one knows when it would be ready for use—is more than doubtful. It is ideal for afforestation. Why abandon perfectly gpod country like parts of. the Coromandel Peninsula to afforestation and endeavour to turn perfectly useless country like that of Taupo into something it is not capable of. The Taupo railway itself would! appear to be developing already into a white elephant, its friends, the late Government, having departed from office. It is safe to say that public opinion from the first was against construction being commenced of a railroad the potential financial returns of which were apparently nil. The opinions expressed upon t,he subject some days ago by Sir Joseph Ward 1 seem to indicate that the present Government is in sympathy with public opinion, and jt is quite probable that construction will cease and activities be transferred elsewhere. If this be so, the natural and logical railway to go ahead with is the Paeroa-Pokeno. Tin’s wbultl run through proved country already well settled and capable of subdivision. The farmers along the proposed route would willingly

take advantage of the projected railroad to move their stock. The present roundabout route to Westfield and Auckland is out of the question for use by the majority of. small men; and, moreover, there is the Coromandel hinterland to think of. The weight of evidence in favour of leaving, the Coromandel area for pastoral purposes is overwhelming. Let the Coromandel country alone. As remarked above, there are many splendidly capable men about the district who only need collective assistance to rapidly bring in the land for cattle. Concentrate on afforestation in the Taupo district. The small farmer has a fighting chance in the Coromandel backlands ; in the Taupo regions he has none whatsoever. The Government would merely be throwing good money after bad, and the very farmers whose pastures they are proposing to take away .would be called, upon to foot part of the bill-