FORESTRY COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 3

FORESTRY COMMISSION.

SOME SUGGESTIONS. , \ STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN

(By Telt-sTaph.—Special Oorresnondont.) Hokitika, February 20. Mr. H. D. M. Haszard, Commissioner of Crown Lands, and Chief Surveyor for tho Westland land district, who has been appointed chairman of the recently-appoint-ed Commission to inquire into tho questions of lorestry aud illforekation, leaves hero to-morrow mornius for Christchurch, cn [ route to In convereation with a press reporter this evening, Air. Haszard stated that tho Commission would assemble at the Parliament Buildlngs at Wellington on tho afternoon of i'eoruary 28. Tho itinerary of tho Commission would then be decided upon and tho procedure arranged. Pending consultation with tho other members- of tho Commission, i\lr. Haszard considered it would bo premature to discuss the details °f, the Commission's work. Mr. Haszardsaid, however, that in view of the extensive area which tho Commission would have to cover, the very wido scope of its work, and the very limited time which the Commission was allowed in which to submit its report, there could bo no objection to, his throwing out a few suggestions, which, if acted upon, would grcatK facilitate tho work of tho Commission. Mr. Haszard said that he thought that tlio taking of oral evidence should bo limited as much as possible. Ho therefore though it most desirablo that persons who were interested in any,phase of tho questions which tlio Commission had to investigate should make their suggestions in writing. If this wore done it would efr feet a great saving in time. Ono'of the orders of referenco was to report on afforestation, and the trees best adapted to plant for commercial purposes. As was well known,'-there were in older-settled districts of. the Dominion individual trees and plantations which dated back fifty and sixty years. Ho thought it would facilitate the work of tho Commission if the owners of such plantations.would forward as much information as possible. Bje suggested that tho information supplied bo somewhat on .the following lines: —Name and variety of tree, locality where grown, distance from tho sea, elevation, nature of the soil, whether in a sheltered or exgosed situatiou, girth of treo at four feet from tho ground, height of tree, whetner subject to any fungoid or other disease, 'etc. This would be of material assistance. If accompanicd by a pliofc graph so much the better. In the meantime any communications should bo addressed to the Chairman, Forestry Commission, Government Buildings, Wellington, mid these tho commission would duly acknowledge. The commission would visit,the principal forests, timber reservations, Stato plantations, and experiment fnims, and also the leading nurseries of tho Dominion for the purpose of collecting data and making a thorough investigation into all the matters covered by the commission's lioto of reference.; He observed In Eassine that as the commissioner's report ad to bo iu tho hands of tho- Government by April 30, they would have to travel very rapidly if they were to get over tho ground in tho time allowed. Dis-, cussing, the personnel of tho commiss'bn, Mr. Haszard pointed out that previous to being- attached to the Lauds Department in Christchurch, aud later bsing aupoint■ed Commissioner of ..Crown Lands for Westland, ho had spent twenty-fivo .years in various timller-milling districts in Now Zealand, and had had (Amsid'erable experience in the estimation and v luation of timber for the Crown. Mr. Haszard was highly complimentary ill lis estimation o£ the abilities .of the other -commissioners. ' no said Dr. Coclc-jne was probably New Zealand's most eminent scientific botanist,' and his work in the Dominion has gained for him worldwide repute. He had on • previous occa-sions-been entrusted with the discharge, of important investigations on bcliaif f' tho Government, and his reports had been the means of adding to the' scientific knowledge of.the Dominion forests and /the-country's possibilities and methods of afforestation. , Mr. . T.- W. Adams,' of Gi'eeudale. Canterbury,, has had extensive practical experience in the questions Which would lie considered by tlio commission, and his knowledgo of tho .suitability of. the various trees to tho various soils, nnd his extensive experience joined on his cwn plantations would bo of tho highest value in tlio commission's deliberations. Both theso gentlemen wcro exceedinglv valuable members of tho commission. The other gentlemen who had been appointed represented tho practical side of the question, being sawmillers or : practically interested in the milling and I timber industries. .. : ■.

SAWMILLERS ASK REPRESENT ATION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Taihape, February 21. Sawmillers in the district aro making common cause with the millers of both islands in a vigorous protest against tho non-inclusion of a representative of tho industry on tlie Afforestation Commission. They advocate Mr..Morris, of Greymouth, and Mr. Ellis, of Hamilton, as practical representatives,, and arc pressing their claims strenuously, chiefly on account of the white pine reference in Clauso 4, It is considered- . imperative- tho industry .should be represented.