The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 1920. AN IMPORTANT ASSET

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 298, 10 September 1920, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 1920. AN IMPORTANT ASSET

Burdened as the Dominion is, and with taxation piling np at an alarming rate, ifc is imperatively nccessary that politicians and other people should look keenly into the question of developing such national resources as have thus far been neglected. Most people, of course, recognise that an effective extension of productive enterprise is now doubly essential, and offers the country its only means of meeting its war obligations without extreme and widespread hardship. In this matter, as in others, however, there is an unfortunate tendency to run only in familiar and accustomed grooves, and to ignore whatever lies outside these limits. Even the most promising openings for new enterprise are apt to be neglected simply because they are. unfamiliar, and because the possibilities they offer .aro overlooked or imperfectly realised. At present this tendency finds decidedly its most conspicuous illustration in the comparative neglect of State forestry and in tho slow progress than is being made towards definitely launching what is in faet a commercial and industrial enterprise of the first magnitude. Apparently, the impression is still widely, though quite wrongly, held in this country tKat its forests take a place of minor importance amongst its national resources, and that "forestry" is a petty activity associated with prison camps. and in no way worthy of being considered in the same category as the established primary industries from which an overwhelming proportion of our national wealth is derived. It iB self-evident, in any case, that the people of the Dominion and their political representatives are distinctly short of realising what a wide and promising field for national investment the forests actually offer. Even in the case of members of Parliament, it seems unlikely that tho prevailing indifference to forestry will bo broken down until its commercial facts have been set before them in such concrete and conclusive fashion that they cannot any longer be overlooked. Some means must be found of directly impressing on politicians the cardinal fa'ct that forest development will yield a better return on millions of acres of our waste lands than any one of the various and familiar forms of agricultural industry which are fostered and encouraged as a matter ,of normal routine. Tho first and most essential fact to be driven home is that forestry offers a ready means of vastly broadening the scope of national productive enterprise and adding in a corresponding degree 'to the national wealth, and that the penalty incurred by delay in putting our remaining forests under scientific management is in all respects similar to -that which would be incurred by annihilating an important part of the agricultural and pastoral industries, which at present constitute the principal foun-tain-head of national wealth. It needs to be understood, also, that delay in putting the forests under efficient care and management involves something very much worse than the temporary neglect of an opportunity which can be turned to account at a later stage. The destruction of forest is still continuing apace, regardless of tho_ fact that in many cases the continuing crops of timber the land can easily bo made to produce arp th? richest it will ever bear. As this_ destruction continues, the foundations ol a permanent timber industry are beins foolishly frittered away.

To an extent, the Government has shown itself alive to these facts. In undertaken t? the organisation of a technical Forestry Department it has taken the first step towards averting the complete destruction of our huge forest assets. It remains, however, to apply the definite policy of development which will make the forests as they should be, the 'oasis of one of the greatest industries in the Dominion. , At present, while the Mt&istek of Lands is eagerly looking for fresh areas for purposes of settlement, no means are provided of ascertaining whether forest lands, or areas on which forest growth might bo restored, will yield better return" in timber-production or m agricultural use. With minor exceptions, practical forestry seeks only to utilise those lands on which the forester can raise better and more profitable crops than the agriculturist. Those who have looked info the facts know that the only hope of terminating tho ruinous waste and permanent loss of a huge national asset—an asset perhaps only second in importance to our sources of hydro electric energy—is to subject the remaining Crown lands to export scrutiny m_ order to determine their suitability respectively for forestry or for agriculture. But, for the fact that few of them have time to. read long and voluminous reports by heads of Departments, members of Parliament would have found in the able report lately presented by the Director of Forestry (Captain Elms) more than sufficient reasons for advocating the immediate inception of an enterprising forest policy, but as the time of members is occupied this document will hardly receive the attention its importance demands Perhaps the best method of bringing the practical aspects nf forestry before Parliament, would be to request Captain Ellis to outline the most essential facts in an address to members of both Houses. If instead of calling the House together next week for the first Monday sitting of the session the Prime Minister arranged that Captain Ellis should, meet members of Parliament, the results would probably nrove to be of much greater value than tho passage of half-a-dozen snail measures, which,

however important, could easily be dealt with on a later occasion. As this step may not bo practicable, perhaps Mr. Massey, or members themselves, might arrange for an address by _ Captain Ellis on, some other occasion. It would Ge well worth while.