WOULD SAVE MONEY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3293, 28 July 1943, Page 4

WOULD SAVE MONEY

DEVELOP NATIVE LAND MERELY GROWING WEEDS MR SUTHERLAND’S OPINION A. suggestion that Native land at present merely growing noxious weeds, resulting in nearby European-owned land being infested, should be developed and thereby save the Government some of the expenditure caused in clearing with which it was faced each year at present was made by Mr A. S. Sutherland, M.P. for' Haulaki when the Native Affairs Department estimates were being discussed 'in the House of Representatives recently. Mi* Sutherland pointed out that on the estimates, there were items of expenditure of' £Booo’ for clearing noxious weeds and £2OOO- for -exterminating the rabbit pest. Mr Sutherland contended that as there was always a heavy annual vote for these purposes, would it not be better to spend the money in bringing in native lands to productivity. Much of this idle land, he said, could be developed by the natives themselves if proper supervision was forthcoming and some of the money spent annually in the cutting of noxious weeds could be used to develop these lands. It at least could then ibe said that the money was being- spent on. work of a permanent nature and would not be an annual charge on the department.

It would also give the European settlers some encouragement as weeds at the present time were annually spreading from these areas on to the land farmed iby the pakeha.