NATIONAL PROBLEM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 January 1939, Page 7

NATIONAL PROBLEM

DETERIORATION OF LAND

SECOND AND THIRD CLASS SHEEP COUNTRY.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day.

An assurance that he would put the proposal before Cabinet and see what could be done was given by the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, when replying yesterday to a deputation from the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation, which asked for an authoritative inquiry into the deterioration of second and third-class land. “The question is one that the Government will have to face up to in the very near future,” Mrs Savage said. “We will get somebody to run a rule over the position to see what we can do.”

The deputation, which was led by the president of the Farmers’ Union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, and the president of the Sheepowners’ Federation, Mr H. D. Acland, was heard also by the Minister of Lands, Mr Langstone; the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Lee Martin; and the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb.

Mr Mulholland presented the following fhotioh carried earlier in the day at a joint meeting of the two organisations:—

“That this meeting of representatives of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation, in view of the deterioration of second and third class country which is steadily going out of production, asks for a complete, impartial and authoritative inquiry into the factors affecting the farmers’ ability to maintain this land in a productive state. We are of the opinion that neglect of this problem must result in a serious drop in production which will eventually react against the country as a whole.”

“I want to make it clear that we are not here out of any political motive whatever,” Mr Mulholland said. “We have not come to criticise the Government. We are concerned as farmers with the position on what is known as second and third class sheep country. On this class of country a great part of the expenditure is for the purpose of maintaining its productive power. It is possible to reduce maintenance expenditure on farms for one, two, or perhaps more years, according to the type of land, without that being immediately reflected in the returns. Nevertheless, it is a very serious thing eventually because it is not only going to reduce the annual return from the land, but also reduce the power of the land to make a return. It is gradually wiping out a national asset.”

AN INQUIRY ADVOCATED.

Mr Mulholland said thg deputation

would like, the position to be inquired into by a thoroughly competent tri- ■ pbunaL that • would report to the Gov- ' emment'and the country and find out just what the position was. The deputation felt that this was a matter of the gravest national concern. It agreed . that production must be kept up, and desired to see it kept up. Endorsing Mr Mulholland’s remarks, Mr Acland said the deputation was concerned about the productivity of New Zealand. It was concerned about the costs of working the high country in the South Island. The costs had increased very considerably during the last 30 years, and he did not think the price of wool was as good as it was 30 years ago. •

Mr Langstone said there always had been a problem in regard to lands which deteriorated very rapidly. There had been a great deal of bleaching of the soil. They could not continue to take wool and meat from the land unless there was some process of putting something back into the land again. There was also the problem caused by the denudation of hill lands of the forests. What was wanted was a good holding pasture. He was in sympathy, with the motion.

PROBLEM FOR PRACTICAL MEN.

The problem had become a major one in many instances, said -Mr Martin. The .setting up of a committee to investigate it would probably be a wise step. The committee should be composed of practical men who had had experience on the country concerned. He believed that in the interests of the Dominion and of production they would have to face up to the problem. The Department of Agriculture would be willing to co-operate with any committee for the purpose of seeing what could be done. Mr Webb said that with a view to increasing the volume of farm developmental work it had been decided that from January 30 the subsidy on this class of work performed under scheme 4b should be increased from 50 per cent of the labour cost to 75 per cent. That could apply to the cost of clearing scrub and probably to the handling of fertilizer also. As far as the Labour Department was concerned it appreciated the magnitude of the problem and that it could best be tackled when all the interests got together to determine the remedy.

DRIFT TO BE CHECKED.

The Prime Minister said one could not go through the country without feeling that there were plenty of men in low altitudes who were not doing much with the land they had, and who thus drove other men into the high country. “It seems to me that if we had the assistance of men who have spent their lives in the high country, and who have done some work and some suffering there, plus men with a scientific bent then the chances are that we could get somewhere with the problem," Mr Savage said. “We have to do something. It is a question of what is the best thing to do. We will put this proposal before Cabinet and see what we can do to hold an inquiry.”

Mr Mulholland: “We had in mind a body like the commission which in-

quircd into the dairy industry some years ago.” Mr Savage: “We will have to get at the position in some way. It cannot be allowed to drift.” The Prime Minister asked for the assistance of the deputation in considering a remedy for the position.