The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” FRIDAY, MARCH, 4th, 1921. FORESTRY CONTROL.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” FRIDAY, MARCH, 4th, 1921. FORESTRY CONTROL.

; Aphoi’OS of forestry control by an expensive department specially created for the purpose, the useful machinery which lias been in operation for so long is to be discarded. The Minister in Charge of Forestry who directs the situation, lias resolved to rule instead himself. Hitherto the matter was in tjie hands of the Warden, a judicial officer appointed by the Government, who dealt with the merits of ( >aeh application in npPn court. Now the Warden is to be superseded, and behind dosed 'doors the application will be determined. Sir Francis Bell is so obsessed with the question that lie lias given it out that in dealing with such applications, only the interests of the forestry shall he taken into account. Nothing else matters to the Minister--trade, ihduetry* public interests, all go for nought, and only forestry interests (often founded on faddist ideas) are to count. We do not know how long the public. will stand by and allow this dictum of policy to stand. Many of the forestry experts have theoretical ideas which will not work out in practice. The conditions which might operate in one country will not operate in another. The Director of Forestry comes ftom another country and no cfoubt lie has found already that 'equitably he cannot apply all the regulations of the countries within his outside knowledge to New Zealand. The ideas of the htfe Sir D. E. Hutchins, an imported authority, on New Zealand forests, were strongly ridiculed by public Speakers both in local bodies and even in Parliament itself. Yet men like the accredited expert we have just referred to, have had a good deal to do ~ with shaping-the forestry policy now being introduced into this country. The conference which took place here last year between Sir Francis Bell, and the millers and later the talk he had with the Federated Saw mi llors Association at Wellington only last January show he is not disposed to take any hints from the sawmillers in regard to forestry administration. The men with a life-long practical knowledge of Doj minion fore-try. are to he pushed aside pud their enterprise jeopardised to make room for the carrying out of expensive theories. Now, this question of control" is going to hit the sawmillers very hard. Incidentally, it will hit the workmen at the sawmill and last but 1 not by any means least, the public at large will he greatly concerned. Some of the millers here and there will probably lie ruined and the workmen lose their jobs, but year after year the public will have to go on paying for the carrying on of this most expensive department, .which is to control matters.. This year alone, the Consolidated Fund has to find £290,144 for the running of the Forestry Department. And this is only part of the proposed expenditure. 1 here is to he loan expendjture also. What t’>o (cst will be next year and the year after when the Department begins to g,.t into its stride with its full and overflowing stall's, its motorcars, and what uot goodness knows now, but the taxpayers will find out later to their cost. Likewise, the miller, who will he fare to face to greatly increased charges to endeavour to carry on under the control of the pernicious forestry regulations, will find out also.