EMPIRE'S FORESTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 245, 10 July 1920, Page 7

EMPIRE'S FORESTS

——• NEED FOR CONSERVATION UNITED KINGDOM'S TIMBER IMPORTS (By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright London, July 7. .. Representatives from all parts of the" Umpire attended the first meeting of the Imperial Forestry Conference at, ..the Guildhall. Lord Lovat, in his opening address, pointed out that timber imports into the United Kingdom in. 1919 reached the colossal figure of Ji72,000,000, and would "probably approach ninety or one hundred millions in 1920. Before tho war, ton million tons of timber products were.imported into the United Kingdom, representing a tonnage spiico equal to that required for the whole'of the grain imports, and exceeding that required by all other foodstuffs-, together, with cotton and wool. Of all the European nations, Britain had tho smallest area of State' forests. ■ - - ■ . - Sir Thomas Mackenzie' said- that, but for conservation, kauri would be exhausted within seven years. It was now expected' to last twenty-five years. Mr. Mackay said that Australia was backward in afforestation. Liberal Federal and Slate appropriations were required to safeguard the forests, but were unobtainable; owing to the war indebtedness of the country.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.