The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3774, 20 August 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1883.

A very interesting debate on forest conservation took place in the Legislative Council on the motion of the Hon. Mr Chamberlin, "That, in the opinion of this Council, having regard to the future welfare of this colony, it is desirable that the GoA-ernmcnt should take immediate steps to largely increase the area of forest lands to be set apart as permanent reserves." Speaking in faA-or of tho motion the Hon. G. R. Johnson referred to the observations of the French GoA-ernment upon the effects of forests, and upon forest destruction, Avhich shoAvcd that in the neighborhood of forests there was one-fourth more rainfall than on tho plains. Further, it showed ■ that forests affected the temperature very , much in the same Avay as the sea affected the temperature of tlie country along the ■ coast—in fact equalized it. In Germany similar observations Avere made with a similar result. In the Peloponnesus, years since, Ali Pasha cut doAvn all tho timber, and the result that folloAved aviis such a change of climate that famincand drought Avere tho consequence. Again, a Russian officer made his name infamous for all coming timo in consequence of his having cut down timber on tho Caucasus in order to drive out the Circassians. The result had been that the climate had changed ; there aviis drought and famine; ancl the population had been actually compelled to leave the country in consequence of its i having become so'barren. Again, in China and India famines Avero attributed to the ■ cutting-doAvn of timber. Mauritius, Jamaica, the Azores, all had suffered most alarmingly, and the streams that Avoro known formerly to run throughout the land were no longer running. Tho samo thing had happened in Franco. In one instance, a stream by Avhich a number of mills avctc Avorkcd AA-as so affected by the cuttingdown of timber that the mills wero stopped during a part of the year for want of water. Finding this to be tlic case, a largo number of trees Avere planted again, and at the present time that stream Avas driving tho mills the whole year round, sliOAving most clearly the results of cutting down timber and replanting. Again, thcro Avas a most notable instance in the Delta of Egypt. The climate there had been made extremely dry by the cutting-doAvn of timber and destruction of plantations. Ali Pasha planted a largo number of trees in the Delta, and the result was that instead of getting six rainy days they iioav got forty rainy days in the year. In Japan, no man Avas alloAved to cut down a tree unless ho planted another. In Biscay, if a man cut , doAvn a tree he Avas compelled to plant two. In another part of the Avorld, if a man cut down a tree he forfeited his hand. He (Mr G. R. Johnson) did not propose to introduce any law of that kind here, but he mentioned it to slioav tho importance of tho matter, as recognised all o\'er the world. Again, they must not lose sight of-another point in connection Avith these forests or tree-planting—that trees had a very material effect upon the health of a country, and it aviis by means of the breathing of trees and plants, so to speak, that the atmosphere AA-as kept in a proper condition. In saying this ho referred of course to the planting of trees near toAvns. The motion then before the Council did not refer to that, but merely to the reserves of forests already in existence. If it were a matter involving largo expense ho quite recognised that the GoA-ernment might have some excuse for hesitation, but Avhere it was a question of simply reserving forest land there should be no delay Avhatevcr. It Avas a matter of the utmost importance, and he trusted that by bringing it forward uoav the Government Avould bo induced to move quickly, and make large reserves. The Hon. Mr AVhitaker said the Government fully appreciated tho importance of preseiwing forests, and no doubt there avctc a great many forests Avhich it Avould be very convenient to reserve from sale. But it must be recollected that in the Middle Island there Avere very fcAv forests that avci-o not in the hands of private individuals, except forests in the ranges where there Avas no chance whatever of cutting them doAvn, because they could not get the timber aAvay. There were, no doubt, some other forests there, but for the greater part they belonged to private individuals, and unless a laAv Avere passed preventing men cutting doAvn their oavii timber it Avould bo very difficult to prevent Avhat Avas iioav going on.