THE FORESTS BILL.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1921, Page 4

THE FORESTS BILL.

DISCUSSED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL. At the ( utility Council meeting vesleiday alternoon the Chairman moved that the ( oitm-il i-oltsidet the proposals of the Eorests Bill as before Parliament. In doing so .Mr Ward said that the Council should lake action with tho object of conserving its revenue, as j l ' the bill went through as proposed local bodies would find that thi*]t revenue was being filched. A1 1 Dull seconded the motion, remarking on the expensive departmental methods of administering the forestry policy. The change of administration would he a heavy loss in revenue unless their ptot-".[ was given effect to. The motion was generally supported and agreed to. lo t- ■)' eflect to the foregoing lliu 101 l i,ring pioposed motions were read. • 0-1 agr. oil In severally as re-, latio "I the (’oitm-il, namely : L That the Council urge that under Hie provisions of Uv Eorests Bill re'Com- to local l.odi s set an.-irt iimiei va ions enactments Cut all umber eutUriu lights, in Inin, ,-n.s. , ox allies •• "■! L. us. -»* !.-■■! !,. r - * u, -, ui.ig o in le i t !..- Mmni" or | . oil \uis. be preserved jo all (-Uses whc:e lil'e.ls will-in Couniv dislrluts are brought under Hu- Forests Act : and that Govermneo- lie n-quest-ed to so pM'serv;- all micli revenue as ' hit Jit-1 to patahle to IN- 10-al bodies, thereby stabilising the im-ome of the local bodies in aerotdance with the original scheme under which rents, loyalties ami lees were first set apart to local bodies for district purposes. 2.- That, the proponed Forest Advisory Board should under paragraph (h)

oi' Clause 14 (1) of the Bill, permit of the appointment oi throe persons re-, presentiltjj; local hotly interests, namely one representative of the North Island, one of the Flast Coast of the South Island, including*Souihlnml, and one . of the West Coast rf lie South t«mnd. d.—That a protest he lodged against the proposal of the Bill in Clause 18 to do all things governing the ndn imstrution of the tovests hy urdur in Couneil. holding that the same is wrong in principle. 4. —That where Orders in ( oitneil may he deemed necessary such Orders shall he subject to the approval f the Forest Advisory Board Indore being proclaimed. 5. —That as it was an essential part of the Forestry policy that provisional forest areas he set apart to enable the selection of agricultural country before becoming jtennaiH'iit state Inrest, clause 21 of the Bill bo deleted, and that in any ease all stub power is conserved in clause lit subject to the demarcation of agricultural lands as originally proposed, and lurther also that clauses 11) and 20 of the Bill bo doited for the reason that necessary powers are conferred hy clause 18. o.—That a m«c! ittery clause be in-

sisted in the Bill setting up an nutlmrity to determine the sums due to the Icic-al bodies ol the 'A cst ( car-, in respect to rentroyalties and lies held 1,,‘1e uni.;,id bv the < ho. erinue'ei tiepar! men! •• to the local holies referred to, ami thai nrovi-oon he mode to tie-, trrmino the inatteis in disunite nut 1 lev than 11)22. 7. .’f lit the state Fore-s’ ry notify le so administered as to enc-cuirag 1 and ; not to hamper the sawmilling industry i ill districts such as the Wes; . oust o: _ 1).,. ...:b 1 -dcvid who-- the-e ore ; t coning millions of feet of tin ner pro-j vidine for the generations to oomo. j S.—That the proposed appiof iml ion ; of endowment lands (clause 1.8 ('£) he , opposed as defeating the police and intention under which national endowment land was’set apart, tor settlement and specific revenue purpose* to as-u-u pavmeiits out of the* ( onsondated Fund for e location 7l)"„. and old ’igc pensions ltd".-,. (See also Clause :t!> of Forests Bill). It is contented that the cost of administration under the r-.ato Forest 1 Department will be inn-din ’to)v high as compared v, iili the simpler I'orm of present eulminis! reii ion. 1). That before being finally passed local bodies intefesU'd, he siippm ! with copies ol tite ament',me ni spmet tl to the present Forest. IMh It watt n so!veil t’ a: conic, ,e the resolutions he forwnrded to the (!overnment. M*mber foi the District, and members ol the l.egisleitu e. St A W.M 11,1. F, It 8 SFITOKT. Dining Ike diseussimi the loilowing loiter vns re tl to the '■' uneil 1 notice that your Council proposes

to ren-ider the advisability tel' taking son... action in I'eui it !■: t'ee i're-ts Bill” now I el'ore the I louse. In referent- ’ thereta ! beg to slate the Seiwmillers' Federation, of which 1 ha,,: the honour to he [’resilient, is making strong reptesent-alinns with a vie,- ef mnditying the Bill w i ;-■■ i: : Hi,night llmt such is necessary. it appears to us thnt t ! - 1 P overs giv, it under Set-lion 18, in re p"t to set in •; apart permanent Slate 1 "tests Itv |*ii■,■!:iniation, are mtieb too wide; and the "Five Years'’ piovisn suggested in Section 21 woiiltl be ipiite tulile ill the fate of such powers. The I’m

visional State Forests were, so set apart to enable the Service to “demarcate” them, and so decide which should bo preserved as poimanout State Forests. It is not playing the game to noet suggest that, invs; not r. ■ of any such demarcation as has tilwetys I,eon' held up to he so important, a

time limit should decide the t|Uesliot

„ iP -v lauds becoming permanent S.eite h’lire-ts. it nets not originally intended that time alone sliouhl he tin IV, in, in deciding the permanency n!

lie s-., p-ovisoiiutl reserves. They tire in tu.v c.e e pi't'served to the Forestry Department. unless the\ are meantinu resumed for pastoral or agrieultura purposes; and il they nre not dealt with as originally intended, it mat it can that some hind will become jierm ment Stint' Forest which otherwise uuuld have been proved more suitable fur ngrit iiltureil purposes. In respect to Section IS we wouhl suggest that the words "permanent State Forests or” in the nth line, tetul the woids "ns permanent Stale Forests oi” in the fith line should be deleted. In respect to Section 21, delete all after the word ‘‘section” in the 2.1 n line and insert the words "may, on the recommendation of the Board, he set apart by Proclamation of the (Jovernor(ietieitii as permanent State Forests. In Section (in, after the words “time to time” in the 12th line insert the words "on the recommendation ol t t Hoard.” The local bodies that are likely to he nlfeeied by the F’orosts Act should then make sure of some representation on

the Advisory Board dim opening for which exists under Section II O'): and wore that secured with the amendments outlined above there should he o\oi\ prospect of the County's interests being safe-guarded. I might mention that the “Bnell Forestry Bill” introduced in the I'.S.A Congress on April Ulli last, and too "Forestry Hill” introduced bv Senator Capper oil May 2nd last, both proposed to give extensive advisory powers to BoaTds or Commissions to he set up

under those Acts. Section 87 (C does not appear to follow the policy that was outlined by

the Minister in relerettee to seeming to loceil bodies such portion ol the revenues accruing from State Forests ees would recompense such local bodies for the loss occasioned hv the discontinuance of their present sources oi revenue through the operation oi tl - Act ; and the time is opportune tor some representation (in this point. There are many other points m respect to which our Federation is soekino amendments, but these are elncily technical matters alfeeting our niditstrv I would like to take tins opportunity, however, of ntssurmg your Council that the Sawimllors Federation will he-ghid to co-operate with you oil the lines above mentioned. Trusting that these unsolicited suggestions will be received in the spun hi which they are made, l have the honour to he Yours respectfully, W. J. IU’TI.KR.