Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, DEO. 28th. 1920. FORESTRY ORGANISATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 December 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, DEO. 28th. 1920. FORESTRY ORGANISATION.

Much has been written about the necessity for a well-defined policy for the conservation and the development of New Zealand’s diminishing timber .resources, and some voluminous reports have been prepared for the enlightenment of legislators. However, the actual forestry policy of the Government .has not yet been made known, though it is now obvious, says a Wellington correspondent, from the long list pf appointments to be filled in connection with the new Department of Forestry, that Cabinet has made up its mind to do something extensive. The positions to be filled indicate that the Government lias adopted some of the suggestions of its experts, and that the Dominion will ho divided into seven forest regions, each in charge of a capable forest conservator, who will have a good deal of executive authority without the necessity of constant reference to Wellington. The Conservators of . Forests for Auckland and Westland are to be

paid a minimum of £7OO per annum while the Invercargill officer will receive £6OO to commence. Tlie proposed

regions in charge of Conservators are Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, in the North Island, and Nelson, CanterburyOtago, Westland,’and Invercargill in the South. The Canterbury-Otago and Rotorua positions can be filled from competent forestry officers already in State employ. These officers will settle local matters on the spot. They will be responsible for protective measures, opening up of roads and tracks, guarding against fires and trespass, and control of local sales of timber. Under them will be a number of rangers, each with a w-ell-defined sphere of w-ork. Some of tlie head office appointments are indicative of a forward move. An expert and experienced timbermair is required, also an officer who is to be described as Engineer in Forest Products. His duty will be to study the utilisation of forest products, and the best uses to which our timber can be put. It is believed that a good deal of specifying of imported timber for special purposes could be avoided if engineers and architects knew authoritatively that there are certain varieties of New Zealand timbers suitable for the work. They must have exact scientific data, which it will be the duty of this officer to provide, thus opening up fresh avenues for the use of our own products. He will also investigate other .aspects of the economics of New Zealand forests. One of the educative phases of tlie Department’s w-ork w-ill be the prevention of the use of our

most valuable timbers for purposes equally well served by a less expensive variety. Kauri, for instance, is a rapidly diminishing asset. It lias practically’ reached the stage when it should not be used indiscriminately in houses when it is of much greater- value for special purposes such as vat-making. To show the disadvantage of the present state of incomplete knowledge of New Zealand’s forest products, a large contract for tramway rolling stock was completed in New Zealand by importing English ash for the tram coachwork, when a New Zealand timber, i probably a Southern beech, would have been equally durable and handsome. To secure this much-needed data regarding the real extent of our forest wealth, the Forestry Department has 1 commenced forest reconnaissances .One is in progress covering the country between Lako Taupo to, Hawke’s .Bay. Another will be done this summer between Blenheim and the most Southern part of the Dominion, on the eastern side of th Southern Alps. This, concludes th© correspondent, is all useful preliminary work, but ns New Zealand requires steady supplies of timber for its dwellings and industries, the general public will soon be Asking for some definition of forest policy, and what system is to be evolved of making prompt use of our resources, having also a wise eye to the futuro.

WjJSpn respect to the foregoing outline of tho Forestry organisation, it is clear that tlm Department is going to be a very costly addition to tho government of the country. In previous issues we have given figures showing the enormous appropriations and tho provision ot loan moneys to enable the Department to “carry on.” A very important International Conference sat lately at Brussels in regard to inter-allied finance. One of the cardinal principals laid down for successful internal selfgovernment was that “Governments must limit their expenditure to their revenue.”. It is clear from the number of highly-paid officers and subordinates to be appointed to tho Forestry Department that the cost of the Department will greatly exceed its revenue. That revenue is to be augmented by an additional charge on the timber. Will that extra impost balance accounts for the Department? We gravely doubt it, so that while the commodity will become most costly to the users, the tax payers at large must provide the additional sum to finance the Department and its “policy.” We are assured it is all going to be worth while for posterity. For the time being the forests are to be made a. vast presence, which will be securely locked up against use except by stiff regulation operated from headquarters. When we consider that over a million and a half acres in Westland have been declared provisional forestryreserve, and the timber thereon is controlled by a Department which may make fish of one and flesh of another, the people should begin to realise how public interest stand in jeopardy. A contemporary lately gave the Department a. warning about officials being personally interested in timber propositions, which suggests a lurking danger, and the possible mischief through the official administration in preference to proceeduro in open court where applications arc dealt with on their relative merits. An active policy may sary* for the public weal, -but it would be well to see that the policy is not discounted by cost and possible abuses which will render nothing adequate in return for the great outlay the new Department is being planned on. New Zealand is suffering very badly from an over-expenditure in its Departments, and the tendency seemingly is not to retrench, but to add to the over-burden. The warning from the Brussels conference requires to be taken seriously to heart by the Government of the day.

In dealing very comprehensively with the problems of finance facing the world at large, the Brussels International Conference naturally dealt with the question of currency. This has been added to unduly in most countries —and New Zealand is no exception. In fact even now New Zealand is adding millions to the paper currency and building up “a vicious spiral” which will cause constantly rising prices and wages. This inflation will rtesul.t in “disorganisation- of all business, dislocation of Exchange,, a. progressive increase in tlie cost of living and consequent labor unrest. The goal here mapped out is definitely certain, for it is being reached all over the world where currency is unduly inflated without adequate reserve backing. ■' The Conference decided that it is of the utmost importance that the growth of inflation should be stopped, and this, although no doubt very difficult to do immediately in some countries, could quickly he accomplished by (1) abstaining from increasing the currency (in its broadest. sense) and (2) by increasing the real wealth upon which such currency, is based. The cessation of increase in the currency should not bo achieved merely by restricting the issue of legal tender. Such a step, if accompanied byother measures, would be apt to aggravate the situation by. causing a monetary crisis. . It is necessary to attack the cause in most countries is that the Governments, finding themselves unable to meet tlieir.expenditure, out of revenue have lieen tempted to resort to the artificial creation of fresh purchasing power, either by tlie direct issue of additional legal tender money, or more frequtently by obtaining—especially from the Banks of Issue, which in some cases are unable and in others unwilling to refuse them—credits which must themselves bo satisfied in legal tender money. The ’’increasing of the real wealth upon which the currency is based’ is to be accomplished by greater production. In this connection the natural and primary products of a country- are its chief sources of wealth, and Westland with its highly mineralised deposits could contribute übstantially to the country’s solid backing. There also is its wealth of resource in its forests, but the tendency is to lock this potent value up indefinitely—as witness the official desire to preserve the timber country Indefinitely about Jackson’s Bay. The promotion and development of goldmining would be a powerful aid to the accumulation of real wealth to balance the increased volume of paper money, yet this is the one great industry the Government is showing least concern of all as regards its future permanence.