The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, August 16th., 1913. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1134, 16 August 1913, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, August 16th., 1913. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Important work is being carried out in the South Island by the Fields and experimental Farms Division of the Agricultural Department in the reclamation and the utilisation of sand areas. The procedure which had been found most successful in checking drilling sands by settlers in the south Was the use of marram-grass and seayme grass, and the sowing in the sand, on the land side, of tree-lupin, gorse and broom-—three members of the legume family. These not only add nitrogen to the land, but, by reason of the foliage they shed and their decayed stems apd roots, they provide the desired organic matter, and humus is thereby created. A further stage in the work of reclamation was introduced by the Department. This consisted of cutting dbwn the tree-lupin, broom and gprse when these had served their main purpose of binding the sand, ahd planting on the improved area the annual lupins—the white, blue and yellow—and ploughing these When about four months old. The burying of the heavy foliage and rddts adds a large amount of organic matter to the sand, while the nitrogen-content is further increased. It has already been demonstrated that lucerne will flourish well after the treelupin, gorse and broom have been removed, and patatoes, carrots and parsnips have also done well. Ryecorn has been grown with equal success. With the introduction ol annual lupins (for which the Fields and Experimental Farms division of the Department is responsible) and the growing and ploughing-in of these a simple solution lor the utilisation of sand areas is presented. The process, it has been conclusively proved, will gradually convert the shifting sand into a a sandy loam capable of retaining moisture and of growing leguminous crops, the persistent cultivation of which under such conditions must undoubtedly quite transform the character of the sand and convert it into a valuable plant-growing medium.

When visiting Fokton this week in connection with School requirements, Mr F. Pirani, Chairman of the Wanganui Education Board, and, by the way, one of the keenest educationalists iu the Dominion —was asked by a committeeman

in reply to the question, “any other matter the Committee desire to mention, “ Whether he would contest the Otaki seat at the next election?” Mr Pirani replied jocularly to the effect that the future was in the lap of the gods. Setting aside the point that the request and reply may have been made in lighter vein and without any representative backing, we: believe this electorate could not be represented by a more vigorous, far-seeing, fearless and unselfish man, possessing, as he does, a knowledge of politics far beyond the ken of the garden variety of politician. Parliament at present needs the Pirani type of legislator, and if he could be induced to stand for Otaki, we believe his success at the polls would be assured.

Some time ago a deputation from the Horowheuua County waited on the District Hospital Board, with a request that the Board include the northern portion of the Horowheuua County, including Levin borough, in the Palmerston Hospital District. The Board unanimously decided to accede to the request tor good and sufficient reasons set out by Messrs Venn, Gardener and Stephenson. The Wellington Board, which governs the Horowhenua County area in hospital and charitable aid matters consented to the severance of the northern portion of the county, but the Chief Health Offiicer vetoed the proposal. An attempt was then made on the part of the Horowhenua delegates to have the whole of the county area, including the Otaki hospital and consumptive sauitorium, transferred to the Palmerston district, Messrs Gardener and Stephenson urged this further request at the Julj r meeting of the Board, and the Board decided to make investigation before committing itself. In the meantime the Board secretary made a comparative statement of the cost of upkeep etc. of the Otaki and Palmerston institutions. The comparisons for 1912 were as follows ; Total expenditure, Palmerston North hospital, ,£4,863 ; total expenditure, Otaki hospital, ,£1,574 ; total expenditure, Otaki sanatorium, £3,340. The Otaki expenditure exceeded that of Palmerston by £sl. The total expenditure at the respective hospitals, after deducting patients’ payments were as follows : Palmerston £3,168, Otaki hospital ,£1,143, Otaki sanatorium £2,676; excess of Otaki over Palmerston £621. The number of patients treated were ; At Palmerston North 781, at Otaki hospital 135, at sanatorium 77, excess at Palmerston 569. The valuation of the Kairanga County was and the amount of hospital and charitable aid levy for the current year was ,£333 16s id. Assuming the valuation of the Horowhenua County to equal, or slightly exceed the Kairanga County, the hospital and charitable aid levy would probably amount to £330. The valuation of the borough of Levin was about half that of Feilding. and the levy from Levin would, therefore, be about ,£54. There would thus be a total levy of £404, with subsidy of £368, giving an aggregate amount of income on behalf of the Horowhenua district of £772. The expenditure, after deducting patients' payments, would be ,£3,789, leaving a balance of £3,017 to be made up by the present contributing bodies of this district. In face of these .figures the Palmerston Board executive felt that it could not nurse such a sick baby. Mr Nash moved that the subject be postponed for a further month. Mr Horn blow said this would mean prolonging the agony and moved an amendment, “that, after making investigations, the Board cannot see its way to take over the whole of the Horowhenua district, but would be willing to take over the northern portion if legislative authority can be secured.” The amendment was carried on the casting vote of the chairman.