The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “ The West Coast Times.” THURSDAY, JULY 21st. 1921.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “ The West Coast Times.” THURSDAY, JULY 21st. 1921.

THE SCHOOL FOR FORESTRY. Cantkiiuuiiy is pluming itself on the success of the deputation which waited on Sir Francis Bell on Saturday in regard to the proposed School for For-

estry. The deputation was organised by tbe Canterbury Progress League,

and was representative of the whole ot the South Island, and so far as one expression of favourable opinion was concerned, also of the southern part ol the North Island. Westland which is the home of the main forest territory of the Dominion might well be interested in the ultimate locale of the School

of Forestry* seeing that if the natural development of the. forest lands is to take place, here before all places, the practical side of the scientific operations of the School must prevail. Westland is largely a Crown area, so much

ol 11 1 ♦ * territory being occupied by forest country which is the property of the Crown. The district possesses the richest of assets in regard to forestry, and it is the mission of the Government policy to develop those resources.

For that reason the location of the School of Forestry should he in juxta position to the forest lands. As Mr W. J. Untler in a Tetter to the Progress League last week remarked, if the School may not he at Hokitika it ought to he at Christchurch. For obvious

reasons the School may not bo estnliiished here, but Christchurch with its •university to which is established a school of engineering, has material elements in buildings and other branches requisite to house so important an adjunctive branch of science as a School of Forestry. It has the appurtanenees and atmosphere for the educational side and in that quarter may best be fixed tlie domicile of the school. Westland in particular will no doubt provide the location for the main practical work. The climate conditions here, combined with the physical features which mark out Westland' as a natural bush region, are such that) the country will go on indefinitely reproducing bush, and if nature is adequately assisted }n

I science, the results will he achieved the | quicker. The fact that the Midland railway will he available for through traffic in a period to be measured now j bv months, means that the community ’ cl interest between Canterbury and Westland is going to he an increasing quantity. The distance between the two Coasts will he a matter of little account when regular railway eomimmi(ation daily is effected, and Christchurch will in fact then be the natural home for the school. It is to he regretted that the Government by giving ear to the rival provincial or inter Isjenbusies which exist between Cantorlimy and Auckland, should he unduly edlaying the matter. The Director of Forestry who is responsible for the effectiveness of the forestry police in quite an exparte manner recommended Christchurch as the centre for the School. He did that on the obvious facts of the case as they appeared to him from a disinterested point of view so far as local feeling was concerned. Tf Auckland were the better place no doubt Mr Ellis would have said so at | the outset. He has. however, -selected j impartially Christchurch as the centre, I and no better opinion could be had I than a quite impartial choice made on j those lines. By the delay now taking j place the Government is losing a, year lof action and utility. It is delaying its | own policy by its own lackiof backbone iu push that policy through. In other circumstances, the Government is very determined about its forestry policy, and will not bend nor break. But here in a simple matter, because an influential province like Auckland seeks to raise its voice in opposition to the Government expert, the Government leans towards Auckland and, apparently is prepared to sacrifice efficiency for expediency. West land should not forget that while Auckland failed to wreck the Otira tunnel project, it succeeded in partially blocking and delaying that works and its influence has resulted in holding up the School of Forestry, and it is again doing Westland serious injury. It is to lie hoped that ill the end, the Government will possess enough strength of character to carry out its policy, not in the most expedient way in this instance, but in the most efficient, and that will be by placing tbe School ns closp as possible to the point where it will be tbe most useful, namely adjacent to tbe principal forests of the Dominion which are centred chiefly in the great, forest lands of Westland.