FORESTRY SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 276, 16 August 1920, Page 6

FORESTRY SCHOOL

CLAIMS OP AUCKLAND DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY BRANCHES OF TRAINING NEEDED Auckland's claim to tho school of forestry which it is proposed to establish in connection with the University of New Zealand was laid before'the I'rimo Minister, the Minister of Education (Hon. C. J. Parr) and the Minister in of the Forestry Department (Sir Francis Bell) on Saturday morning by a deputation which visited Wellington for tho purpose. Besides tho visiting members of tho deputation, representing tho College Council, the Chamber of Conunerie, tho Industrial Association, and tho timber millers of tho province, tho deputation was attended by the Hons. G. J. Garland, who introduced the speakers, B. Mitchelson, J. B. t Gow, and J. G, Coates, and Messrs. V. H. Prod, F. F. Hockly, V. H. Potter, P. F. Bollard, A. Harris, and T. W. Rhodes. j. Ercfessor A. P. W. Thomas briefly recapitulated the : allocation of special schools to the various colleges of the university. He 6aid that the senate had agreed that Auckland should havo tho chairs of Agriculture and Forestry, binco then, however, Canterbury had put ill a claim for the school of forestry. They had no objection to any activity on tho part of Canterbury, but considered that in this matter the considered opinion of the University of New Zealand should be adhered to. In' addition, he urged that Auckland possessed qualities specially fitting the city to bo the site or the school, in tho interests of tho wholo Dominion. The Auckland University College could' provide tho instruction necessary rather better than any other collego in New Zealand. The scicnco laboratories were the most recently electedin the Dominion. There were, in addition, ft school of engineering and a school of law, both of which could provide a portion of the technical equipment necessary to the foresters to bo trained. In one respect Auckland s claim was unique. It was the province of natural forests. Canterbury was not a natural forest region. By virtue of its rainfall and other natural characteristics it was pre-eminently a grass country. In Auckland only could lie found the great timber yards where the whole operation of milling from the newly-out log to tho milled timber could bo observed in its on liretv. This could not be claimed foi any of the other luiiversity Wns. The facilities also for field work in the Aiick-1-ind Provinco were unsurpassed. ino deputation had the recommendation of tho various public bodies in the AucklaThe tev. iC A. B. Chappell (Registrar of the Auckland University resume of tho departments in which the college at Auckland would be able to provide the necessary instruction in the various subjects which the etudCT S forestry would require to take. He. ex plained that the chairman o the Harbour Board had authorised him to state that the board ffas prepared to help the college to the utmost in this matter. Its mi ling area at Miranda would be at the disposal of students for research work On tKademic Bide there were atedy especially good facilities fortheinstiuc SSWd.nl. to rtjtto in biology, chemistry, arennee The at the college had made a special study of forestry, and was cauinned to commence teaching i. mm ™ 1 atelv The professor of economics also had devoted '™t « «">? * ° T»£ oC the !■:>»". Company, said that the tW sawmilling the had become recognised throughout the Dominion. In times past tho milters utiU C point Tew had been kept in rirs—ns? (latest amount of timber in the shoit Kit- possible time. There was noi ccntro rritn?ttfti'tad tjie greatest°mUy ewTclaM of® wmilß timber'"hat was gwwn in New Zealand It was Ho iiiW nlaco where the whole processes copld be watched from the time when the seed germinated to tho time when tho tree left the saw. They hna large mills which were thfe only ones in any of tho cities that operated on tho lo»s as they came direct from the bush. In TCgard to the engineering department of the timber industry things had alteietl entirely in past years. They had modern methods in tho industry now, and there was wide fi'-Ope for iho acquirement of knowledge. _ What liicy m - fered from was that tuo melons had gone ahead of the men. and tliev .had to employ men who made many mis>al;e=. With the facilities which would be amiable in the Auckland district there would be ample opportunity of acquiring all that would be needed f?r thei*o hing of the forests. He claimed that tho Auckland waterways and the natural ai.vantages of the coast line 1 ' the timber province f-bnve all others. The timber companies 111 Auckland would be only too glad to offer every facility to students, and he thought that it jvnu very likcJy that they would establish logging scholarships at thoir o\>*n cost, lie could not promise, but if such a thing as the §chool came to pass to would do his very best to havo the scholarships established.

Th© Hon. E. Mitchelson said that as one who for very many years had taken a deep interest in the subject of forestry lie had long advocated the establishment of a school. He liad travelled New Zealand from end to end and agreed that this was a wider question than ono of mere parochialism. He was ouite satisfied that, judging the matter from every point of view, Auckland was the only nlace where the school should bo established. He was quite satisfied that if the school were established there tho facilities for its successful working would be greater than anywhere c;so. Jlr. W. B. Leyland said that he had been very glnd to henr Jlr. Butler say that scholarships would probably be established at the school, and lie promised his hearty co-operation in that movement. He detailed the nrccssities of a fully equipped timber man in New Zealand, where there were problems in the driving of logs not to be met with in the lumber provinces of America. He said that in ono watershed which, had br.en worked in tlie north it had been necessary to construct twenty-seven dams in order to drive the timber The problems of dam construction, and the selection of sites was an aspect which would need to lie studied at the school. watershed presented its peenhar 1 so fin I- the logger required to lie an emhTst 7&SSE- j/™ other 0 port Aft- S I Clarke, representing the Inbsswb were very glad to see *' 10 , in -[t was taken in tins important matter, was already important and was oesbned to become more so. He that it was a great pity tha- N* f . uw thing had not been undertaken before, in. view of tho waste Uhafc had tnKon place in the forests of New Zealand. They had already established .i Department of Forestry, and: the next move would lie tho institution of tho forestry school. As an Aucklander, ho know a good deal about ho province, and ho acknowledged that Auckland possessed special facilities for tho Fe.hool which lie hoped would he cwtnhlished soon. Tt. lied been recognised that it was a duty to provide for the timber requirements of the future. A good deal lad been .lone jti tbfl-t direction already, and now that