DEATH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1778, 28 February 1888, Page 2

DEATH

Fbibdlander— On February 27th, Isabel the dearly beloved wife of Hugo Friedlander, m her 33rd year.

Wkt §^Mm*i<M <&mx&im?

Maona bst Vxritas kt Pbjkvalbbit.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1888.

THE FOREST DEPARTMENT.

It will be remembered that m a recent article we expressed the opinion that the proposed abolition of the Forest Department is an umrise step, and that the temporary saving effected thereby will be far more than counterbalanced by the national loss resultant from the destruction of the native timber, and the abandonment of methodical efforts to replace it by the planting of useful timber trees. We are strengthened m that opinion by the information contained m a return just to hand, and which was prepared by Dr Kirk, the Chief Conservator, under an order of the House of Representatives, upon the motion of Mr Bruce, member for Rangitikei, last session. That return shows that for the period of about two years from the appointment of that officer (the Chief Conservator), viz., from November 16th 1885 to December 31 1887, the total revenuo of the Department was (omitting shillings and pence) £6580, and the actual expenditure during the same period £12,003, or, adding outstanding accounts and liabilities for work m progress, a gross total of £13,198. Of the actual expenditure (not including liabilities) £1966 was on account of agriculture, sericulture, etc., and the sum properly chargeable to State Forests was therefore £10,036 for the two years, or roundly £5000 a yeor. Now, as one year's ordinary revenuo is given as £387-1 it is evident that the net cost of the Department and its operations is only some £1200 a year, while as the revenue is said to be " capable of indefinite expansion," there appears to be no reason why there' should not be speedily a credit balance. Indeed we are told that " The revenue obtained from State forests has from the first afforded a surplus after defraying all cost of administration, including protection, valuation, etc., but," it is added, " the formation of plantations necessarily involves a considerable outlay, which is unremunerativo for a few years." It is, however, estimated that portions of the plantations already made will yield a net income of £1500 per annum within i-ix years, increasing at the rate of 15 per cent per annum for fivo years thereafter. 8o that it is clear that the Department, instead of being a chargo upon the State, would within a very short time provo a source of considerable revenue. As to what has boon accomplished during the short period of its existence Dr Kirk says : — " A uniform code of regulations for the measurement, valuation, and sale of standing timber has been brought into force m all fctatc forests, and found to work satisfactorily. The loss by waste and needless destruction of standing timber has been reduced, Within the

State forests last season not a single knuri was destroyed by fire. Large areas of growing timber that might otherwise have been destroyed have been preserved. A total area of 4270 acres has been fenced at Maniototo, Waerenga, t Kioreroa, and Papatawa. Four cottages ! have been built for nurserymen, with tool-houses and sheds. Upwards of IGG4 acres have been cleared, ploughed, and planted or sown with black and golden wattles, red gum {Eucalyptus rostrata), ironback {E. leucoxylori), jarrah (E. Marginata), stringy back (E. obligua), etc. Nine acres have been trenched and planted with oranges, limes, olives, &c ; about 380 acres cleared and ploughed for planting next soason, and about 20 acres deeply subsoiled or trenched. Many thousands of oak, jarrah, and other eucalypti, kauri, tanekaha, and other trees havo been grown for planting out next year ; also nursery beds sown with totara, californian redwood, Douglas fir, and others, including several profitable timber-trees not previously cultivated m this country." Besides all this, " Experimental work has been commenced m the introduction of valuable economic plants suitable for subtropical or general culture, and about 100 plates have been prepared lor tho publication of a descriptive work on the economic timbertrees of New Zealand, for the benefit of timber merchants, foresters, and others." This is altogether a very satisfactory and promising record, and we regard it as a thousand pities that the work so well begun should be brought to a premature end by a mistaken retrenchment which is tho very reverse of true economy.