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Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1920, Page 2

Tiie anti-Government tone of the opposition, independent and labor journals at Home is not reflected in the House of Commons. This was specially evidenced last week when Mr Asquith, the unofficial leader of the Oppoitions, led an attack against the Government over the military position in Mesopotamia. Mr Asquith made a warm attack on the Government action in the East, but after Mr Lloyd George had replied, Mr Asquith’s motion was defeated bv 280 to 50. It was a thin House of course, but the preponderance of the voting doubtless reflected the general feeling of members, and the support of the Government policy' was beyond question. Mr Lloyd George, invariably deals effectively with criticisms of the Government actions, and is able to supply good and sound reasoning for the policy pursued. A striking tribute to the British Prime Minister was forthcoming at the annual meeting of the London Chandler of Commerce held only last month. The President (Mr Stanley Machin) in referring to His Majesty’s Ministers, went on to say: The Chamber of Commerce knew no politics. But they claimed to be judges of value; they claimed to appreciate men of action; and they knew that >n Mr Lloyd George they had a man of action, a man who got things done. They would never forget his enthusiasm and liis energy in surmounting the difficulties' that threatenjed them when there was a shortage of munitions. They knew that his foresight and judgment wore largely instrumental in .c----curing the unity of the country during the most critical period, that by his courngf' and devotion to duty maintained an optimism which was one of the greatest assets tlilo nation possessed and which had carried the war to a. successful conclusion. He was now sttf-

i fering through his devotion to duty, 1 (the Premier was too unwell to attend ! the gathering), and they all earnestly hoped that he would be restored to perfect health.” With judgment of this nature passed upon the British Premier there is confirmation that the right man is iit the right place. Although Cssecho-Slovakia is better , known us a. well developed agricultural i and industrial country, it may lie of | interest to mention that this eompara- | tively small Ivtiropean' republic ranks I among the most richly wooded conn-

I tries of Europe, her woodbind covering no less than 32 per cent of her total area. Xot only so, but if Carpathian j Russia, whose political future is yet . undecided, is destined to become one ' with Czecho-Slovakia, there would he a huge total of 12,355,000 acres covered with forests and woods, or, in other words, a wooded acreage four times larger than that of England. Judging by the, annual after-growth and by tlie timber and wood obtained, the normal produce of the forests in the Czechoslovakia Republic may be estimated at 16,000,000 cubic metres. The propo"tion of tint two main kinds of timber as at present obtained is on an average 60 per cent of timber and 40 per cent of firewood, but in normal times the percentage of timber would be much larger as the recent economic crisis and the shortage of coal has made an imperative demand for the supply of all wood that could be spared for fuel. With an J incroaseds production of coal and •; j sufficient number of railway trucks, there is hope for an ioero.as.e in the j annual yield of timber to the extent j of 12,000,000 cubic metres. The fin'- I ber is particularly suitable for building j material, and also for the manufacture of planks, railway sleepers etc., and r or j the manufacture of celluloise fabrics. | When under the Austrian regime the j wood of Czecho-Slovakia was exported • unmanufactured as logs, the greater ; part being sent to Germany, where it was manufactured and placed on the world’s markets. With post-war independence, and all the encouragement it has brought, Czecho-Slovakia is endeavouring to manufacture the wood from her forests by home industry, >nd she seems in practically every way to be well on the road to complete oquip- . ment in this direction. The chief nterest of British timber merchants in the forests and wood production of Czecho-Slovakia lies, of course, in the question as to whether or not there will be a, sufficient surplus of timber available for export to supply a, murlin'eoded want in'England, with a possible reduction in the price to the consumer, which we know j> almost solely governed by the, law of supply and demand. That a satisfactory answer can be given to this question—at least so far as the j exportation of timber is concerned—is shown in a recent issue of the Czechoslovak Trade Journal, which points on* that, ip gpite of enormous domestic requirements, there will be a considerable surplus of timber for export ,nd in estimating the total quantity jf planks and deals likely to bo shipped abroad during this year, it places the figures at 3,000,000 cubic metres, i'liis total, by the way, will be supplemented by an exportation of furniture, packing cases and other manufactured articles.