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Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1921, Page 2

Theme is something of “the substant and shadow” comparison, of which w wrote yesterday, about the timber po icy of the Forestry Department, wide concerns the millers also, and the ml stance of the matter is more important too, than the shadow of an increase [ c wharfage rate at Greymouth—for tli a Otira tunnel will help the millers eseap v that temporary impost very soon. A to the Forestry Department control ■ that appears to be inevitable and inlet mitiable. Speaking at the January in ti;rview at Wellington with the Mine n ter of Forestry, Mr Butler asked Si Francis Bell if it were proposed to »u pe'rsede the Warden’s control in ret

peet of existing rights. In reply, (a we will give prominence to the rema able answer) the Minister said:— “The Warden’s control should ) determined. Discretion would lit j to be exercised, and he said he woi endeavour to protect existing rigl and to see that the discretionary pc ■ . or was used in the same manner by the judicial tribunal, subject onij consideration—that consideral being that if the practice in the p: ( i of the Wardens’s Court’ had been p judicial to forestry, then the disc lS tionarv power of the new body woi >' not he exercised in the same maim *■ He said lie was against the Ward* having any power in respect to f est areas. In the past they had be influenced by the lawyers. But was equally against existing rigl being prejudiced by taking away 1 power.” Sir F. Bell’s attack on the legal pi fession has been drawn attention to ; ready by Mr Murdoch. It seems to an unpardonable offence for a Minist t of the Crown (and himself a lawyer to so attack a. statutory officer like tl Warden. If Wardens are influenced 1 thy lawyers, in the manner Sir I Hell would infer, it is to bo oxpecti Judges are being influenced in tl same way. Sir F. Bell should knn for he is an eminent lawyer of grei forensic ability. But lie must kno also that the facts of the ease pertaii ing to timber applications which Warden deals with, are first reportr on by the Commissioner of Crown Lauc wlio through an officer of his ow causes an inspection of the ground t he made. Whatever a lawyer ma plead is therefore verified or othenvif by the Crown’s own report, and it i facts only which may influence a Ware cn’s decision. It appears to us tha Sir F. Bell owes an apology to th Bench for so unfairly maligning tlies judicial officers. And let it he rein art ed that Sir F. Bell’s statement is of sweeping character. He refers to th Warden Courts officials in the plural and embraces them all, as they go an came, whether in one district or an other, and whether for long or sliorl The Minister’s statement, wo make hoi to say, 'is not only a gross indiscretion it may he stigmatised as unfair am altogether uncalled for. But what is t happen next? The control of the Wai den is to pass. It is to he assumed b; the Minister who from the very outse (reveals himself as unfitted fop such ; position. Only “forestry interests” wil prevail with him. Public interests, pri vate investments and enterprise, conn for nothing—they go by the board tha: Sir F. Bell may continue in supronu control of his fad ideas about forestrj and the milling of timber. The sawmillers are in for a had time under this regime. A Christchurch paper last week had the following which is of interest to the public men and the people at large of Westland. Tin; recent tour of the East Coast of the North island by members of Parliament and representatives of the Press appears to have been very successful. Primarily, the aims of the tour were to display the resources of the district and to enlist sympathy with the settlers in their need of access. The idea is a good one, and wo have no doubt that those who saw tho district for the first time gained a great deal of useful knowledge. Members of Parliament ought certainly to acquaint themselves with the conditions throughout Jie whole of New Zealand if they are :o east intelligent votes in the House, mt it seems necessary for tours to be ipecially arranged. The East Coast

tour was evidently welU organised. We think it would be advantageous to all concerned if a party of North Island members could be, conducted over the Canterbury and Westland districts. For one tiling, this would almost certainly remove a lot of misunderstanding regarding the Midland Railway, which is a subject of. some, delusion in the northern part of the other island. Moreover, the spirit of parochialism would lie lessened by further tours in various parts of tho Dominion.