RURAL RECONSTRUCTION

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 457, 25 March 1948, Page 14

RURAL RECONSTRUCTION

Problems Which Face Australia and N.Z.

OME years ago New Zealand had two schools of forestry. The authorities decided to concentrate on one. That one was closed temporarily during the depression, and has remained closed. But the need for training foresters hasn’t stopped. On the contrary, it has become more insistent. We have the remains of our great native forests, and large plantations of exotic trees. Many problems are involved in the best management of both. And compared with a generation ago, New Zealand people are much more tree-minded. So the University of New Zealand invited Professor S. M. Wadham, Professor of Agriculture, Melbourne University, to visit New Zealand and advise it about the training of foresters. Professor Wadham is an Englishman, a graduate of Cambridge, but he has been in Australia for a geod many years, and has been active outside his lecture-room. He is a member of the Rural Reconstruction Commissian set up in 1943 by the Federal Government, which has issued several reports and is still at work. He is also a member of the Victorian Advisory Committee on

Radio Talks. He gives as his recreation, "Talking." Altogether, therefore, it was fitting that he should be asked to say something for the benefit of Listener readers about his mission here, and various aspects of rural life in Australia. Trees and Soils Professor Wadham spoke of "the really urgent need for advanced training in forestry" as the reason for his being in New Zealand. New problems were going to arise, such as the effect of plantations on soils, and ways in which soil deficiencies in afforested land might be corrected. They had found in Australia that in certain areas such deficiencies affected the growth of trees, just as they did the growth of crops and pasture. Then there was the utilisation of forest products. "It is quite clear that New Zealand now has a larger area planted than it will require for its own purposes. That means more export of timber or the development of new industries in which timber will be used." We said something about erosion. Yes, he had noticed it. Obviously erosion was going on where it shouldn’t, but it didn’t follow that every bare patch on

a hillside was the fault of man. It was nature's way, and it began before the European started to farm the hill country. "Flying down from Auckland, and looking out over the country, it struck me that farming must be difficult among

those hills. Soni of the land, I’m = has gone back to nature." We assured him this was so, and together looked over a map of the North Island and discussed the effect of forest destruction in the back country and the difficulties of farmers faced with secondary growth and perhaps insufficient capital to deal with it. "Erosion is serious in some parts of Australia," said Professor Wadham. "It takes various forms. Wind erosion has moved large masses of sand in some

localities and in others the surface soil has gone, leaving a subsoil on the surface. On the hillier country, especially where ‘cultivation: is practised, gullying sometimes occurs and in the worst cases ‘tunnel erosion.’ On our very steep slopes soils are usually extremely thin. In every State of the Commonwealth methods of control are being worked out, and on the gentle slopes terracing is now fairly widely practised." Climate and Ways of Living We asked the professor what the truth was about the interior of Australia. Was it fact that it~ could never carry a large population? "Put it this way," he replied. "Forty to fifty per cent. of the whole of Australia will not be fit for anything but light grazingin parts. You can do something with certain outback areas, pieces here and there. It depends largely on what water you can get...The problem of Northern Australia is sociological as much as anything else. British people have brought their old ideas to that climate, and they must change them. We need better housing and better amenities generally. Yes, the siesta habit might be a good idea." We mentioned that investigations some years ago had indicated that the

white settlers in the north were not suffering in health or vitality. "Yes," said Professor Wadham, "the conclusion may have been favourable, but more investigation is necessary. Do you know what invention has done more than anything else to make life easier for the people up there? The kerosene-driven refrigerator. "The point about the kerosene-driven refrigerator is that it can be used where there is no electrical supply. It has no moving parts. Gases do the work. Much more thought will have to be given to the construction of houses there: There should be air-conditioned units in homes. The heat sometimes prevents people from sleeping, and then they lose condition. Air-conditioning would help them." What were the prospects of tropical crops such as rice? Yes, rice could be. grown in certain places. It was a matter ‘of water. Sugar was grown successfully in selected patches along the Queensland coast, the only "white" cane sugar industry in the world. From the technical point of view, the sugar industry in Queensland was probably the most efficiently organised primary industry in Australia, though there was still room for improvement. It had a great record in improved yields. Yes, run to a considerable extent by Italians, they had given no trouble during the war. Rural Homes The discussion then passed to the problem of rural labour and general conditions on farms. Professor Wadham agreed that there was a general rise in the standard of housing in the community generally. The town-dweller was demanding and getting better accommodation, and the countryman was following suit. What had been good enough for the "hired man" years ago wasn’t always good enough now. The Rural Reconstruction Commission in Australia had taken up this question with all other phases of country life, and issued a report. We looked through this report, which covers a wide field, from septic tanks to education, and thought the conditions generally could be paralleled in New Zealand. (continued on next page)

AUSTRALIA’S OUTBACK (continued from previous page) The standard of housing depends primarily on income, yet often a mere increase in income alone does not result in good housing; much depends on the outlook of the farmer and’ especially of his wife. Some women are content to put up with inconvenience and even discomforts for the sake of the security which they hope wilt be gained in the future, if the greater part of the income is returned to the farm. In very many instances the farmer is apt to consider the building of a new shed, or the purchase of a prize bull or ram, or the installation of a new machine, of much greater importance than the comfort of his wife. In some cases farm houses are inferior to the shed and other buildings and the housewife has to wait years for her comfort. * 2 2 It has been observed that women who have come to the farm from town or city, d those who periodically visit other homes, generally aim at a better standard than women who remain on their properties from year to year. Ke * a The idea still persists that good light and ventilation are not essential to the rural home, as "the farmer spends so much time in the open air.’’ Good natural light with ventilation sufficient to air the house thoroughly is essential in adequate housing; yet many country homes, hemmed in with low verandahs and equipped only with small windows, tend to be dark badly ventilated. It was estimated that from 40 to 50 per cent, of the farm houses in the New South Wales dairy districts mentioned were inadequately lighted or ventilated. Some day we may have a similar report for New Zealand. It is understood that investigation is proceeding. We asked Professor Wadham about radio talks to farmers, in which he has had a good deal of experience. "Radio plays its part in keeping farmers in touch with things. There is a special Director of Rural Broadcasts. He has a short session in each State programme every day. Some ‘are technical, others chatty. In my opinion the latter are far more successful than the former. Farmers and their wives do not want to be talked at, but. they rather like being talked to-always provided the speaker really understands their personal problems." We reflected that probably farmers and their wives are not the only people

who feel like that.

Staff

Reporter