A FORESTRY RAID.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1922, Page 2

A FORESTRY RAID.

SAWMILLING INDUSTRY SPECIALLY AFFECTED.

Private telegrams received from Wellington on Saturday afternoon indicated that during the passage of the Forests Bill through the Upper House on Friday night important amendments were made to the measure which will

specially affect procedure in regard to milling rights, and seriously jeopardise the sawmilling industry. The clause which creates,an entirely new condition is said to read as follows:

‘After the commencement of the Act, no lease or license, or permission conferring the right to cut trees or timber shall be granted by a Warden under the provisions of the Mining Act, J.UOB, except for strictly mining purposes to the holder of a miner’s right, and neither the Native Land Court nor a Maori Land Board shall grant any right to cut timber or confirm any instrument of grant of such right without the previous consent in writing of the Commissioner of State Forests.”

This clause hits directly at what are known as Sawmilling reservations, and jeopardises the future of the industry. The point should be noted at this stage that the legislation is being introduced after the bill bad been before a joint committee of both Houses, aud passed the Lower House. It appears as though the Government was trying to steal a march—hardly playing the game where the effects of the legislation will be so far-reaching. On receipt of the information oil Saturday, the Mayor and representatives of the local bodies conferred, and it was resolved to despatch telegrams to the Prime Minister pointing out the effect of the amendment which was contrary to the promises given by the Premier and the Director of Forestry that the reservations now existing would not be affected by legislation. Attention was drawn t« the confiscatory proposals, and the manner in which the millers would be hard hit by losing their reservation rights, in respect to which maiiy millers had incurred already large Expense in plant and access tramways. The Hon J. Griffimond, M.L.C., and Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., were communicated with by wire also, drawing attention to the position and the blow threatening the timber industry.

The effect of the legislation will be to remove the granting of rights from the open courts whero the Warden sits and in respect to which appeals may be lodged if the justice of the decisions is questioned—to the Commissioner of Forests, who sitting in his office in Wellington, may be a law unto himself, and impose whatever conditions to leases and licenses he may think fit. We venture to. say no other industry is treated in this manner in tho Dominion —or perhaps out of it. Tt is a high handed procedure which will strike a serious blow at sawmilling in the district, for the miller who would be disposed to put capital into a venture would never know where he stood, and he always at the mercy of the bureaucratic officer in Wellington. When the oosition comes to he fully realised there will be nothing but consternation at the latest more which more than iiiything else will be a blow affecting

vliat should be for years to come the greatest industry in the district. No doubt when the new condition of affairs is realised, protests from all parts of the Coast will be general, and should help to make the Government understand how serious is the situation for the outlook of the second largest industry in the Dominion.

Tho matter will he brought before the local bodies conference at the Town Hall on Wednesday evening, and all interested in the matter should not fail to attend and assist in throwing their influence into the strong and united protest which should bo made, not only from here but from all parts of the West Coast, for the whole region is just as seriously affected as any individual locality. The local bodies will he very seriously affected by the loss of both goldfields and royalties revenue which will now be appropriated to help “run” the Forestry Department, and assist that expensive Department to improve its scheme of restriction and penalties on the industry, and ultimately on the public—who will have to pay the piper in the end for the tune the Department will play.