The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1946 FORESTS AND THE FUTURE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 92, 28 June 1946, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1946 FORESTS AND THE FUTURE

Cut From Bottle 1 I Richard Hunia, aged ten years, of Te Teko, was admitted to the Whakatane Public Hospital recently, suffering from a cut foot which he sustained when he stepped on a broken bottle. His condition today is reported to be satisfactory. Achilles Ensign J The Whakatane County Council has granted the Harbour Board permission to house the ensign, donated to the 'Whakatane Achilles Sea Scout Troop by officers and men of H.M.N.Z.S. Achilles, in the County Council Chambers until such time as the Troop obtains a clubroom of I its own. [Basketball Girls Entertain Members of the Whakatane BasIketball Club entertained last Saturday evening, when a successful dance was held in the Caledonian 'Hall. An enthusiastic crowd of pat- ’ rons from town and district assembled, and to the music of the Premier Band, danced the evening away. Supper was served by the girls at an appropriate interval, and proved to be delicious. A Monte Carlo was won by Mr B. Dodds and partner.

THIS country today is reaping the harvest of folly which was sown when the first Europeans, unthinking, unknowing, put fire to the bush as the quickest and easiest means of clearing the land for agriculture. There was plenty of land and plenty of forest, and if the fires, once started, consumed a few hundred or a few thousand acres more than was intended, no one cared very much. It is only in recent years that the enormity of the crime that was then unconsciously committed against the forests which protected the land from erosion, laid the humus that was responsible for the whole of our primary industry, and provided the timber of which cities are built, has been fully appreciated. The defeated forests are now claiming reparations, and the cost will have to be borne. To the extent that they will involve a huge replanting programme, the long-range forestry schemes announced by the Commissioner of State Forests, Mr C. F. Skinner, to the: Labour Party Conference, will be welcomed. From the existing stands he estimates that combined State and private activity will produce in the next five years an annual output of 415,000,000 board feet of timber, more than sufficient, he claims, to provide for all essential needs. In his capacity as Minister of Rehabilitation, however, Mr Skinner promised the conference that controls on the sale of timber even more stringent'than at present would be introduced with the object of assisting Labour to attain its goal of building houses for the people. These controls, and the establishment of new mills, may do something to assist the immediate shortage of building timber; the projected planting programme may alleviate to some extent the prospective demands for certain woods, but there has yet to be brought forward a plan that will ensure New Zealand of continuous supplies of the wide range of timbers that only a well-balanced scheme of forest reserves can promise. It is significant that Mr Skinner, in his statement, spoke only of “large exotic forests.” Because of the comparatively rapid growth of these exotic softwoods and the consequent earlier commercial realisation on them, they are now being planted almost to the total exclusion of indigenous building timbers- This policy of quick returns-may look impressive in a Government statistical record, but it makes little contribution towards the problems that future generations will have to solve. Already such softwoods as insignis pine are being used in building, not because of their cheapness (for the treatments necessary to prevent their deterioration add greatly to their cost), but because nothing else is available. There are undoubtedly many uses to which the exotic softwoods can be put, especially to assist in the conservation of native hardwoods, but surely any administration should have sufficient faith in the future of this country to plan now for the wants of the generations of New Zealanders that are to come.

Boxing Revival In view of the wide interest being shown in boxing at present, a general meeting has been convened for Wednesday, July 3, at 7.30 p.m. in the Borough Council Chambers, for the purpose of reviving the Whakatane Boxing Association. In order to have the Association serving the whole district’s interests, the convenors hope that representatives from all districts and past Associations will attend.

Bridge Acceptable At the last meeting of the Whakatane County Council, a letter was received from Mr H. S. Mexted, Thornton, advising that he was prepared to accept in lieu of the present culvert serving his property, a bridge 12ft. inside measurement; there to be little or no alteration in road level depth to the present culvert level and the level and width (12ft.) to be taken the full width of road. The council resolved that if £1 for £1 Public Works Department subsidy were available for this bridge work, that the bridge be built and that the County Engineer submit the necessary application to the Public Works Department.