CONSERVATION OF FOREST

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 112, 9 February 1928, Page 10

CONSERVATION OF FOREST

WATER SUPPLY BOARD’S POLICY

The Wellington City and Suburban Water Supply Board laid down the policy at yesterday’s meeting that the forest must be conserved wherever possible.

The question arose out of a communication from a sawmilling company which operates in the Akatarawa district. The company had entered into negotiations with the Forestry Department in connection with the appraisement of the timber in a certain block, and its sale by tender. The negotiations fell through, but had been reopened prior to the Bill becoming law, which vested the Akatarawa forests in the new board. The company then asked the Citv Council whether the board was prepared to offer the timber in a certain block for sale by public tender, and their letter was considered yesterdav. Mr. \V. T. Strand thought the board should be guided by the opinion of the Forestry Department in the matter until their'own officers were appointed.

Mr. H. D, Bennett expressed his strong dissent from interfering with the forest in any way, and hoped the board would declare itself in favour of preserving the bush from the sawmiller. The chairman (Mr. G. A. Troup) sup ported Mr. Bennett, and mentioned that when Dr. A. W. Hill recently visited Orongorongo he had declared that the bush there was worth the whole of Kew Gardens put together. “Whatever you do, never let them cut down a stick of this bush,” added Dr. Hill, according to the Mayor. It was stated that the revenue deriv able from the milling timber in the area affected would be about £llOO, and the board decided to await a further report on the subject.