AFFORESTATION.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18405, 11 June 1925, Page 14

AFFORESTATION.

PROGRESS LEAGUE'S REPORT,

A .report on forestry and afforestation in Canterbury was given by Mr P. R., Climie to the Canterbury Progress League last night. Mr Climie 6aid that everyone must realise what .a timber failure would mean to industrial activities. The everincreasing drain upon" the present supplies had been accentuated by past carelessne&s in timber conservation. Modem dev§!opments iff wood-puiping had created"^such an enormous demand for timber that countries like the TJ,S.A. and Canada could now see the end of present supplies within three decades. Even with the resources of If.S.A. last year, some 9,000,000 cords of pulp wood were imported from Canada in order to keep up supplies to the pulping plants of the States. New Zealand imported very large quantities of this material, and present indications: were that the amount of forest of various kinds to be imported to New Zealand Would be worth.' approximately, £2,000,000 a year. This could and should all be grown in ' Now „ZealaiuT. The speaker proceeded to emphasise that waste lands could be used for afforestation purposes. There were many thousands of acres of waste land available for, the propagation and growtbof trees. In a few years' time the annual requirements of Canterbury' would probably amount to 150,000,000 to 160,000,000 feet of timber and with the exhaustion of virgin supplies, it would be a case of the State growing its own or going without. The Government should be urged to consider the position at once with a view to establishing adequate minimum requirements in state forest plantation in Canterbury. \ >.''■■ It was decided to invite the Director of. Forestry to give :an address at the annual meeting.