CORRESPONDENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1919, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

TIMBER TALK. (To the Editor.) Sir—Your columns have contained a quantity of “timber talk” lately, and with your permission I would like to say a few words. In my opinion it would be better for all concerned, if j the Government would proceed on the following lines. In the first place, push the railway south as soon as possible to open up the timber country. | Also alter the present method of collecting royalty. Instead of collecting on the sawn timber, which encourages the miller to pick the eyes only, out of the bush, and devastate the remainder, Sake the miller buy the timber on his en, quantity to be arrived at by arbitration and paid for as it is cut, and take the bush on the face cutting all millable timber. Then the Government could follow the miller up (where the land is suitable) fall what he leaves, burn it, and throw the land open for settlement. This -would make the ground productive right away. In the case of land for forest; why not treat it the same as the good land as far as the miller is concerned and replant it- with timber right, away. In addition, let the areas taken up be limited and aggregation reduced, so that large areas cannot be locked up by any one large firm. In connection with white pine, I contend that the wastage, in the past has been a disgrace. The sooner they introduce the T and G. system and put aside this nonsense of having the sides of butter boxes in one pieces, only the sooner the better. There is nothing to prevent the whole log being utilised in butter boxes with the present available modern machinery. I certainly consider the present pi ices for sawn timber arc excessive and feel sure that if the above suggestions were given effect- to, this would be remedied. Thanking you for valuable space - 1 am etc.,

WEST COAtH'-R South Westland 2Gt-h., June, 1919. THE STAMP OFFICE. (To the. Editor). Sir, —1 notice our Greymouth friends are now agitating to have the Stamp Office removed from Hokitika to Greymouth. 11l support of this object, Or Naylor makes the astounding statement that documents have lain for two years in the Hokitika Stamp Office without attention. Sir, in justice to our town this statement should bo challenged, and either Cr. Naylor should retract or prove his statement now that we have two Ministers of the Crown in our midst. When far more- business was being transacted here the officers of the Stamp Department did their work promptly without burning the midnight oil, and we are not going to allow the town to suffer through carelessness or ineompetenev.— 1 am. etc., LIGHTHOUSE. Hokitika, 30th June, 1919.