FORESTS, FIRES, FLOODS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 110, 7 February 1928, Page 10

FORESTS, FIRES, FLOODS

Sir, —Fur weeks past the papers have been lull ul repur is ur lire ravaging bume oisiricts, ana lluods will iuevnauij lulfuw, lur the mountains cannut be roubeu ul their veruure wilhuut tile valleys Using swept wnn lluuels. Can we learn the lessun that ‘Treventiun is uetter than cure.” In 1916 1 visited most of the homesteads in tile East Coast and saw wellgrassed valleys and steep lull sides. In 1919 1 traversed the same district, but now hill sides are scarred with slips and valleys tilled with morraine deposits, and a settler said, “We have lost hall the value.” Many districts have suflered in like, manner. Now take the utilising of the high country between Ohakune and Taiunaruuui. During the last thirty years many thousands ol acres have lost their coverin' 7 , many millions of leet of timber have been secured. But what about the land? Can it be profitably worked? From what I could see and learn most of those who have tried to work the land have cleared out. Take the village of Wainiarino, when I first knew it: About forty -Maoris lived there, then two white families—no one now, and this illustrates what under present circumstances must prevail. Surely this demands a change of land policy, viz., onlv cut timber from land that can be worked with profit, leaving the rest alone till it can Le worked into forests with system and method. Those cutting out the silver pine told me that they had a license from the Commission of Crown Lands, and that they intended to cut out all to both sides of the Waimarino Alliance camp area and behind. | What does this mean? Look at the hill side to the west of the railway station. A devastated, deplorable sight. One still hopes that those in authority will stop this devastation by taking immediate action.—l am. etc., FRED H. SPENCER. Rotorua, January 31.