STATE FORESTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1921, Page 4

STATE FORESTRY

[UY TELEGHAPII—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Jan. 13. 'l'lip Director of Forestry, addressing the Nurserymen’s Conference, thanked the association for help .given the Department by the Standing Forestry Committee. He emphasised the absolute need for New Zealand Solving the problem of future timber supplies within its own shores. Existing estimates put th supplve of .milling timber in New I Zealand at over thirty-five thousand million super feet on some eight million acres. He was satisfied that a careful survey and inventory would considerably increase this forest capital. The quantity appeared large, hut useful husbanding was required without delay if serious hardships were to be avoided in the near future. The total area of Crown forest now was seven million acres. He hojied that in the next four years it would he twelve millions. The primary object of the Government .for- J est policy was “the assurance of ade-| quate timber supplies at a reasonable |l price for all time.” The next five years would be the critical formation period. He hoped that the hampering lack of trained men would be remedied in three or four years. He estimated that the

annual timber consumption of the Dominion would be within a generation one thousand million super feet. Of this State indigenous lorest should produce (10 per cent, State planted forests 10 per cent and private forests, shelter belts and importations 00 per cent. New Zealand’s long growing season made private plantations a sound, remunerative business, and there should be 150,000 to 200,000 acres of such plantations in the Dominion. The State forest service ought to be the leader of forestry thought in New Zealand, and not in competition, but in co-operation, with the Nurserymen’s Association. Their interests were identical. The service earnestly desired to stimulate the extension of private foi’ests, and more tree-planters meant more grist to the nurserymen’s mill.

•Captain M’lntosli Ellis, addressing the conference, estimated that within a generation New Zealand plantations should be producing from sixtv-five to one hundred million super feet per annum.