HILL COUNTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 September 1938, Page 6

HILL COUNTRY

DETERIORATION PROBLEM COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE. MINISTER’S ANNOUNCEMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The deterioration of hill country pastures in New Zealand, not only in those established after the felling of the forest, but also in wide areas of native tussock grassland, has been proceeding steadily foi’ many years and has caused considerable concern. Deterioration has become still more manifest in its later stages owing to resultant soil erosion. The Hon D. G. Sullivan, Minister in Charge of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, announced today that, partly in response to the representations of the Royal Society, the Government has set up a representative committee under the aegis of his Department for the purpose of surveying the situation and collecting evidence, particularly from soil and vegetable aspects, and securing exact information upon which administrative measures can be based. The personnel of the committee has been selected with a view to bringing expert knowledge to bear on physiographic, soil, agricultural, botanical, grassland and forestry aspects of the problem, and consists of Dr H. H. Allan, Government Botanist, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; Mr R. P. Connell, Land Utilisation Officer of the Department of Agriculture; Professor C. A. Cotton, Victoria University College; Professor E. R. Hudson, Lincoln College; Mr E. B. Levy, Director of the Grasslands Division; Mr J. M. Smith, Fields Superintendent, Otago Department of Agriculture; Mr C. M. Smith, Forestry Department, and Mr N. H. Taylor, of the Soil Survey Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.