Hokitika Guardian & Evening star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th, 1920. FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th, 1920. FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT.

Westland is such a vast forest area, that any proposals designed for the development or roiispryation of the forest lands is of the greatest- concern to the people as a whole.. The lately appointed Director of Forests has just issued his first report, and ojs the subject of forestry has come very much in the public mind of late, great interest will ibe centred in the statement. Moreover, Captain Ellis coijjes to New Zealand with both a European and Canadian experience, if not reputation. There will therefore be a good deal of defence to the expert mind, but from what gone before in the , matter of opinions of forestry experts , it would not bo wise to make a fetish of everything that is served up. For in- , stance, in the Address-in-Reply, Mr Seddon M.P., quoted remarks from a forestry expert who not so long ago wrote seriously about introducing buffaloes into New Zealand forests! There is alsq the official estimate mad© some few years ago that the forests of Westland could last only 2Q years—a statement corrected the following year jto 30 years—but still absurdly fallacious. Even at the outset of Captain El|is’ present report, there is an indication of the official or expert mind in regard to estimates when lie states “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. This variation about indicates how these experts can differ. It will be wise therefore to take the opinions of experts as to quantities and the life of the N.Z. forests, with a- grain of salt. People who have lived here in the heart of the forest for the past 55 years, and have a knowledge of the area cleared by the sawmills working continuously for that period, are in a better position to give a practical estimate of the life of our forests. And . with that knowledge, and knowing how 1 the forests stretch their way north and south from here, are not likely to he j perturbed by Mr Ellis* own estimate | that if the output of the Dominion 1 should reach a thousand million feet it is going to cut out the available timber in 35 or even 60 years, as he seems to suggest. Granted of course, that there will be an increase*- in the 1 demand for timber, but there is an enormous reserve to draw 'upon, and for 1 the sake of the future of Westland we ' hope to see the development of the 1

trade go forward, and that the forestry will not be unduly conserved while the present generation are crying out for timber supplies. “Grow it, and ise it,” was a motto once suggested for the utilsation of our forests, and it is along those lines the Forestry Department should get busy. Nature has been bountiful in her sunplv of timber conn- ! try. and it is here for the noenle to use as reasonably required, 'and not to admire in the .grrent forest c-a-ag into which some forestry would throw it. When nature i« bountiful with her harvests, or her produce, the self-same Government which would seek to strangle the timber industry with restrictions and embargoes, do not prohibit the export of the produce to the markets of the world where better prices j (obtain, and by suchi export deplete

the local supply and penalise the consumers at home. Indeed the very folk who are thus helping to penalise the population at large, are the very people who are using their great influence to prevent the export of certain timbers to smother market for the better utilisation of our forests. In that way the timber trade is not participating in “the square deal all round”—it is a one-sided square deal—and the timber producer has to battle for every little concession be can squeeze out of an , unfriendly Government. As to the report, it proposes an expensive Department and a heavy capital expenditure. There has been a lot of talk in the past about afforestation, and large votes have been provided. A Department is in existence now, but except for official action there are no evidences hereabouts of practical work in forestry. Yet coking to the wealth of native forest all up and down the Coast, is their a bet- ! ter proved locality for results? The ! public will need to watch well the de- , velopment of the forestry department which Beerns to come before forestry development, and as local interests .are so much affected the public mind should be particularly alert to prevent serious results accruing.