FORESTRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1920, Page 3

FORESTRY.

N.Z. DIRECTOR’S FIRST REPORT. NEW SERVICE PLANNED. WELLINGTON, August -i..’ In his first report, the Director of 'Forestry (Captain Ell lisp reviews at length the existing conditions of indigenous and other forests in the Dominion, and elaborates comprehensive proposals for their efficient management on a basis of permanent productivity. Observing that the visible supply of timber in the Dominion is variously estimated at from 35,000,000,000 to 60,000,000,000 superficial feet, he expresses an opinion that within a generation the annual national consumption will probably be 1,000,000,000 feet, considerably more than three times the amount of timber cut in the Dominion during the last financial year. Emphasising the significance of these figures, Captain Ellis strongly urges the necessity of immediate measures to' ensure continued supplies. Apart from the organisation of an efficient forest service, and due provision for the training of forest technicians and rangers he recommends that economies should be instituted in forest working by the abolition of the present system of royalties on sawn output, and the computation of royalties based on the cubic content of the log, and adjusted (at five year intervals) in proportion to the ruling wholesale price of timber. Whereas the present system puts a, premium on forest waste, the new system, it is urged would offer every inducement to economical working, and also add largely to the revenue now collected by the State. As a means of securing continuity of policy, the report urges that the forest service should be given full and unhampered control of all details of forest development and administration. Under existing conditions, it is stated only 25 per cent, of the wood in a forest area is utilised, whereas in a few years it will be possible to utilse probably more than 65 per cent. Captain Ellis declares that it is quite safe to say that the Doj minion must aim at developing twelve million acres of forest, or more,

if a, safety margin is to lie attained against high prices and a. famine in the forest products. The report elaborates in detail a programme of forest development and extension to be carried out during a. period of from five to seven years. It is proposed that during this period loans should be raised to cover an expenditure of £240,000 on the organisation and development of indigenous forests £302,000 on the extension of plantations, £200,000 on the acquisition of forests and forest lands, and £IOO,OOO iin tho encouragement of private and local body planting, etc Captain Ellis estimates that by the time the Dominion is consuming £I,OOO- - feet of timber per annum, thirty per cent of the annual supplies will lie derived from private forests and from importations. Timber '■ Imports, be states, will necessarily decline to a negligible quantity, but be is of opinion that conditions in this country, exceptionally favourable ta tree growth, piake it a-u exception to the general rule that forestry can be undertaken only by the State. The growth of trees for special uses in New Zealand, he remarks, is a sound and remunerative business while he looks to private enterprise) assisted and fostered by the State to provide nearly thirty per cent of future timber supplies. Captain Ellis assumes that native forests put into » state of permanent will yield.6o per cent, of these supplies, .and State plantations 10 per cent. One of the proposals advanced is that native-owned forest lands' twhen they are unsuitable for agricul-i ture should be conserved and worked

Uy the State in trust for the Natives. “A progressive, modern forest policy fpr New* Zealand wil] requirefor its execution a. pimple, clear, and effective forest law, for the present la|ws and regulations in force are archaic, ambiguous, inelastic, and clumsy, and no efficient policy could function successfully under them,” proceeds Captain Ellis. In framing a new Forest Act he says that a new orientation must be made. All previous legislation and regulations should be repealed, at least so far as they conflct with..well ordered administration, and a new forest loin' established. Incidentally he suggests that there ts required by law a forest authority (the Forest Service), the formation of a consultative bpard, provision for a directing executive head, qualified by. technical forest training, apexperience and executive ability, provision for delegation of authority and discretion to -the director and by him to his subordinates, provision for the settlement of grievances, difficulties, ete., by. the director, provision for j close co-operation with other Govprn- | ment Departments, provision iw the ' functioning qf Civil Service machinery | with internal authority to reward merit ■ and efficiency.

Captain Ellis submits three plans of irganisation for the Forest Service, l’his Department, he says, “should not mly he executive and administrative, but also investigative, for when the Legislature has once passed on the national forest policy the settlement of difficulties and the making of decisions should ho made in an atmosphere in which forest policy and not political expediency is the deciding factor.” The plan he favours consists of a Minister in charge of forest services and general policy, a director of forest service in complete charge of the administrative instrument, a consultative forest hoard (composed of from ten to fifteen members) , to dscuss and advise the director on matters of local and national interest in forestry, a. secretary of forest services to be associated with the director, and solely responsible to him for records and fiscal matters, such as revenue, expenditure, collection of royalty, supervision of the district accounts and office administration, a general staff anc organisation to function directly undei the control and supervision of the general executive head, the director. Thu plan, it is urged, secures a direct lm< of authority and responsibility fron the Minister through the director ngh down to the forest guard. Moreover it is the one which assures unity ot coij trol .direction, inspiration, and T«.9P or with forest finance, the wr ter emphasises that adequate provisio must be made over a period yean Continuity is urged as vital during ti

early and critical period of organise tion of the forest service, for during the first four years period the foundation will be laid, and from it will evolve the definite success or failure of forestry in New Zealand.