FORESTS BILL.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1922, Page 4

FORESTS BILL.

PROPOSED

WELLINGTON, Jan. 19 The joint committee which considered the Forests, Bill has placed before the Legislative, Council a number ,pf .sugq gested amendments, which may be summarised as follows:

.Where timber rights have been grant- , ed the Commissioner is to, have, power to enforce the conditions of such rights,; aiyl to claim, forfeiture of the rights for any breach of the conditions. The appointment of a Professor of t' orcstrjj as a member of the Forest Advisqi j; Board is left to the, Governor.-General-j in-. Council, and it not obligatory. The. Minister is "to be ex-officio a menibeij of the Board, and is to have the powci| to summon meetings of that body. j Persons who hold leases of lands in a State forest area arc to be allowed three months after the expiry of tlion* leases to remove buildings, fences, of other improvements effected or acquired by them, or to .dispose of the improvements to an incoming lessee. .It is provided, however, that any time within the last year of the lease, the Minister may notify a lessee that he intends at the expiration of the lease to purchase the improvements at a price fixed by agreement or by arbitration. In nny such case the improvements are to be the property of the Crown at the ex T piration of the lease, and are not to be removed. Evasion of the payment of royalties and other dues to the Crown is to he punished not only by such fine as the Court may inflict,,but by the addition of a sum equal to three times the amount of the royalties or other dues evaded.

Any person unlawfully cutting or removing State forest produce is to he liable summary conviction to a year’s imprisonment or a fine of £IOO. In the event of a fire occurring in or

adjacent to any ,State forest or m any fire district, a forest officer may require any male person over the age of sixteen years, residing or working within the fire district or within a radius of five miles of the outbreak,.to assist in extinguishing the fire. Remuneration for services rendered is to he at such a rate as may be approved by the Minister. Persons refusing without sufficient cause to render the assistance demanded by the forest officer, arc to bo liable to a penalty of £25. The onus of proving sufficient cause is to he on the defendant.

Unauthorised hunting, shooting, snaring, or destroying of animals or birds in State forests, the liberation; of animals, and the occupation orj breaking up of land therein, arc to be offences punishable by a. fine of £2O. j

Persons found committing breaches! of the Act are to he liable to arrest without warrant, but are to he brought; ns soon as possible before a justice of the peace. Provision is.made for the issue of regulations defining rights of access to and use of Maori forests liy their Native owners.

DEBATE IN COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, Jan. 19 In the Legislative Council this afternoon, the Hon Sir Francis Bell, in moving committal of the Forests Bill, said that apart from its climatic side, forestry was a mercantile and not a scenic concern. He emphasised the fact that there had never been from the first anything hut cordial co-opera-tion from the Minister of Lands and .his Department. Sir Edwiii Mitchelson supported the bill, with the exception of the clause setting up a Forest Advisory Board, which, ho said, should not contain men who were out to get what they could from forests. His advice. to the Minister was to call tile Board together as seldom as possible, lie urged the Forest Service to study closely the growth of New Zealand trees. 1‘ inally Sir Edwin Mitchelson spoke of the more favourable terms given to West Coast .millers as contrasted with that given to Northern millers. The Hon J. P. Campbell supported the previous speaker’s remarks as to the rapid growth of New Zealand trees, and suggested the introduction of parasites to destroy insect pests. Sir Thomas Mackenzie spoke of the need for protecting forests from fire, pointing to the loss of Otago ! o'<:

tmesis. Bluegnms and pinus insignia planted on suitable su:.! would return a handsome profit to New Zealand.

The Hon O. Samuel expressed pleasine at the changed altitude tewards forestry, for which Sir Francis Bell was so largely responsible. The Hon G. M. -Thomson said ha considered that snwmillors’ and workers’ representatives should not be on Lite Board of Advice, because their interests were not identical with those of forestry. The possibility of starting the wood-pulp industry should he seriously investigated. The Hon J. Grimmond supported the Bill.

The Hon J. G. Garland also supported the Bill, and said above all the service must protest standing forests from fire and stock. The debate was adjourned.