AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 12

AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

PRESERVATION OF FORESTS. .: Sydney,' January':. 8. : . Among the new Acts: which ,came into law in New South. Wales on' Januarys, is ..the, Forestry., Act.';, The spirit of the Act is towards a systematic, management of the State's timbored areas, and while it repeals.'many'; obsolete' provisions 'To-' lating to _ forestry under the' Crown Lands jets,-it introduces new 1 features.'Among those mm- be mentioned the ;creatioi : of State forests, .the granting of exclusive rights- to "work- timber-, over definite areas which are difficult of access, the licensing ol sawmills and provision for payment of Crown royalty on tho output of some, thei issue orgrazing and occupation-per-mits,' and T the administration of ringbarking; Included in' the Act: is a comprehensive clause enabling the enactment , regulations to deal with every phase of forest management,,and in addition it provides for, the preservation ■ of vegetation on catchment areas,' of. works for the. conservation and. storage, of water, andipr, tho organisation,of a system of cducation.m /scientific forestry. . A- difficulty which; existed for.many- years is. that of meeting, the demand : for.immature timber3..for : mining,- purposes, both' tho pepartment and tho public being averse to _the„ destruction of this class:of timber, before it ,has';.grown.''. to' size yielding timber rfor ordinary commercial purposes. As.hpwever, it is recognised that to some' extent; tho policy of administration should be in.the' direction of meeting .specific locar demands, provision has been, made ■in:-.-the: regulations for the' gazettal of areas . which immature:,' timber ™? « obtained, under conditions providing for■ their' natural regeneration - and tho_ continuity: of supply. In connection ™ afforestation and reafforestation,: it will bo the future policy .of the Government,to: provide by- annual - votes for necessary expenditure in i this direction. Inquiry is,-.now, being: made; with. the ob- ', e . c r.°* establishing nurseries.in various •districts in,' which plants of . economic .value will"Be raised in large quantities andbe utilised for planting up-tho waste lands'of;' the State. A -large amount, of work.,hri:- already' been performed:in-the interest; of jreaJlorestatibn-....by. .treating forestv"a^eas^ to' an improvement process, and •'■ this work; will - be; very considerably extended ; as. the State forests ■ are classified and', created, under the Act -both,by' way of'..conditions : attached',. to ■:- leasehold tenures 1 ■ and .by. direct! . expenditure■. of moneys;,voted for that purpose. ,The Act provides a'.period of in which to..classify .and.'select the, future, State; forests,-and the I :preliminary; work,in'this connection-has already, been; advanced ' ; to a ;stage, which ..will, it is contemplated,: allow the.proclamation of many important. State, forest.;areas beforethe close, of the present year.., ,', ;,:,:-'■ ; ■■■-... -, ■:.'.' : ■•■.:'.'■'■•'

•■'.• the: moral, aspect, of the ! ;;;.^'.;i;'^':.:.;STßlKE.. : :;;_•':;: ;-V •j:'\>tv ~i Discussing this,,- question".■ the-' ?Daily remarks- that tho;'facts that .tho.;Victprian'railways'"are now burning, foreign 'coal,'- and that, in, a week's time ! twenty; thousand tons, will -reach .Sydney, for the, use. of: the New. South, Wales Government; is a' stinging proof .both ;6f the folly and'the .'culpability of tho'pre- ■. sent strike. \- The. promoters of the, strike might just as' ; well; have taken this :money. out of .the.pockets'.of the. taipayers, and .thrown .it .into.;the..sea. In,the ' moral. , aspect thero; would 'have been'- no '"differ-- , ence'.between '■ that; course of action .and .the, one;they,;have, adopted,- as■there, is none in their respective effects - upon the •victims.. But this.only represents a small part of .the loss 'to .which the''common-' ity..;ia,deliberately, submitted.-by''the: deprivation :;bf. coal .with the v famine ■prices following. thereont'Vl'or,:' if-, the Sminors -will ;. [ not: permit, the; people:: to ■Igefc coal, from..our .own- mine'sj' it ..will, be i'got from 'those ;of other countries. ~Thus ((Asiatic', coolies 'are .'now hewing coif for" i;thc use of-Australian State. Governments/ :nnd, not-evenvthe 'most devoted' Parliaimentary. representative, of labour in "the '.Commonwealth. will, under; thS circuiri--' Stances, daro to;,offer: a word i of .protest,• ;as the.alternative would be.thil stoppage' r °f ith.ev.Government'.. train (Services, -and of ruin. throughout the' (audi 'Wliat the Government can :do" in: , this; matter private users of:. coal can do ay paying 'the extra prico necessary,' so: that while our own• miners live; on levies ,made. uporiv the', earnings of .other men,.the work that should be. supporting; them: has to go. to .Indians and' Japanese, who .are the only- people that will'.benefit', a' penny.' by: the,' strike, ■ and ".what: they ; 'cH a i e ' w i" at. the. expense of: this ,S>tate.;,By.continuing, the, .strike,' -'-'the' miners are: acting ■ just as ruthlessly. to- ; .wards the'community, arid just as foollutily; towards themselves, as if, after the' ;mines;had .been,demolished by.'an earthquake, they stood"by arid'prevented"the damage, from'being repaired:,-The'.whole' business .is 'inconceivably, silly,' .and- the longer.it lasts the more:silly,'jt grows. ;; is V being "given by';Mr;, Lee, Acting-Premier, to 'criticism ;'of the immigration : movement in'-. New South Wales. He declarcs/that the.selection of'theVNew" : South .Wales .immigrants has 'never been; beuer.:. or more stringent.' than •'■' at - tho present time. v'The ;hien .are,real, agricultural labourers, and ; the country could do;, with ■ many - more' thai are arriving.. The British -Board of. -Trade officials' on more than,one occasion have.said that the 'New South. Wales emigrants are/the'besV who leave the.United Kingdom;" ; 'lf the criticisms . referred ,to ,had : : any; foundations, at all .(which' he 'denies),: it'must' bo< attributed to those,organisations ! who, i outside, • the Government scheme, ; '•" have I been .introducing unskilled or uhoiassified I labour.:- Some statements have been made,' the: Minister, continued): to, the. effect'that ; the Immigration 'Bureau .only' cares; for ™se immigrants' towards' whose. passages t ha ,tlovernment contribute.'; The fact is' that these are the only .'immigrants: ■ in;.vited,by; the Government.'V-They' are the • class desvred,.and;.work is:.guaranteed tothem. ..But;, beyond; this.' the Immigration Bureau,' endeavoursv to "help;, all-' comers,- arid is always ready,"with ; advice' andl-assistance.T; It 'has,been :said;that Canada treats, her immigrants better'and franks them -over, the railways. ,' But this' is-quite, wrong;; No country in the'wprld-treats-its iriimigrants with'' as. -'much I sohoitude as New South Wales:-. :So far'i 'from■ .Canada :franking:■ the immigrants over.the railways,-unless'they can'show I on 'arrival', that they; have 25 dollars in. addition to a railway tioket to their des-' "nation, inland,-,they'aro not-allowed'to' land. ;'A misapprehension seems to exist also: with reference. to British' Army pea-' sipners.'; '..This- is a class of immigrant whl ? h «™ally' Bnds. it: difficult to obtain ■' work. are specially warned in the ' Agent-Generars 'Office ; if. they call there i that work, cannot be guaranteed' thenf and no,contribution is given towards their passages.;.; The Immigration l Bureau however;' on- their .arrival;- always gives ; 'tho-men-.whatever,; help is- possible" in | their vsearch, for 'work; - misstatement requiring -correction is an al-' legation ■ that the ■' Government places 'fan embargo ; nppn: children.'-Nothing could' bo further from the. truth,! and only, to- 1 Ml !r y a 1 '. n , < "V regulation '^ras 1 - 'adoptedunder, which farm hands - are ■ permitted to nominate;.their ;wives and children at fares as low as .£3-.per.;adulf and 30s for children .under 12 years of age. 'The Oovemment-assisted immigrant scheme is in a particularly: healthy/condition just now,, and is expanding : steadily alons ,most satisfactory lines. ..;-.:' ' -'~. ■:

- ; .tORD KiTQHENER's: TASK;'' : : : :. With reference.to the visit of lord' iutohener to the colonies; the "Sydney Morning Herald" says:-"The, lines upon which a oongories of intra-Empiro: navies gradually be developed,-.with power to strike as one, have been already laid down with fair distinctness., if we mistake not, it will be Lord. Kitchener's taskto do much the same for the army. The scheme/'of Imperial organisation.-with which we aTe familiar is admirable as far as it goes.i; But what we want to be sure of is that it will-be fine, 1 .not,'only on paper, .but-. also reality.- While wo do not. propose to surrender the. control of pur unit, or to place ourselves-in a position -of-: absolute- subservience: to-the British War Office, wo do'want so toordcr our fighting iresources-ihat-.they will be in;', emergency of .greatest:, servics, not merely to ourselves, ■ but to the Empire Wo tako it that lord Kitchener's business is not so much w.ith details, which we can see to ourselves, .but with broad considerations. All our defence preparations should proceed on the assumption : that, in a war, the British Navy might fail of itself if only.for a season, to.keep acquisitive hands Off' our shippings ai.-d our shores There.is not a small amount of difficulty in getting our people,: crndlad -as. they

have been 'in peace, to .regard war ;in' other than a fanoiful way.-. But.even .tho most casual student of international politics, as they present, themselves .to-day, most 'be. seized of the momentous possibilities of a developing situation. Every. hope naturally is centred upon peace, but at any time there may be a shifting of the situation which will mean'-war.- And if war; comes, it will be. a matter, not of Britain only,: but of the whole Empire. It is this contingency-which gives point to the.,visit of Lord' Kitchener, and hope that ho will be able to make suggestions, that will ; enable:us to make,the.mosbof our available fighting material in defence of this continent and, tho Empire. This is a position which 6hould appeal to him, particularly in view of his probable appointment to the Imperial. Staff.'. In ~the meantime,' while we maybe disappointed that/ho'chooses while among us so'studi-' ously to keep his own counsel, .we.shall forgive all "this :if ".-in"-' the end,./as;' we' doubt not it will, his 1 counsel 'proves to be such :as we . can set before ourselves and our political.leaders:as the. true military policy of. this. Commonwealth.". '■ > : ' INTERESTING MEETINGi

Some .interesting remarks ohvthe. situation ' arising 'as!a result of : the continuance of the strike.were, made at a,meeting, at Mount Kembla- last. week. : , .Mr...J. Poland, /president, of .tho local lodge,, who. "presided, ■! expressed '. ;the opinion that some, remarks by Mr. Bowling at meetings in.the district.had/been insulting.' "It; had' been said.':' that those, .supporting' compulsory arbitration: were, born,.idiots. If. that '..were sb, : then he was a torn idiot, and the' Victorian and western miners'were born; idiota.v, (Uproar.). Mr."' Bowling had .informed them, 'that' they:'wonld have won. the,-ibatttle if JCGOOO income had been realised. from his; .two mines... Their '.''great ri;general' Peter must have', been : asleep "to" allow anyone,else to, come in and'anhiir what lie claimed as his.' •.■■".' '''/'*;£/ .::.;/ '"

Mr."Bowling, in reply,'asked ifi they were prepared to leave, to a ''capitalistic judge; the .'right to : say .what i they: would live on,'and if they' did.hot accept, his conditions to.be: sent to "gaol? The miners would not. only" be idiots: but; traitors .to their, own class, if-'; they 'trusted'[ to ; any > man -as a. chairman of :o- wages board.';' He 'did 'not, want the miners. to follow, ,him, but the,.congress that:',would bring about a peaceful, and honourable settlement of - their'. troubles.'::', (Cheers.), v. . -Mr.,.J..-' Butler;--president; of the: Coal Lumpers' Union, was sure /that/no .boer-! ;cion -act 'on:■ earth would cause■' tho ,coal lumpers. l to/.'go back;'on ''.nhionisihS : . ■■_ Mr. Bowlers;: assured,.tho. : miners that -the ,£100: fines inflicted: on: the. members of'_;the. .delegates boardswould, never'he paid. The ~-men' ;who/talked, about.comphls'ory , arbitration, talked nonsense,■ ias compulsion , could only,;" come/ from", one Side.","" ;?;.>';,.. .':.:'.-».■'- : --i :-::■:■' • ,-'-.;.

■ ■' A /motion that .the Mount/',Kembla lodge, support the-new-congress/was submitted, '.:-, but /the',: chairman refused -tb put the .motion, asVonly one. side of the question'.had -been heard/ Mr.'Bowling thereupon called for :a.'show: of'hands. A large; number- were. ;h'eld .'.up/in favour, ;and. hone ..against. ~ Cheers, for; organised labour;terminated .the-:meettng. 1 ' ■./://,'