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Hokitika Guardian, 30 March 1922, Page 2

There is a very active movement in the Dominion for the conservation of the forests, and in parts of New Zealand where there are no forests to conserve, the movement is receiving a very sympathetic hearing. Maps have been published indicating the locale of the standing forests and needless to say the bulk of the territory is on the West Coast of the South Island. A very large portion of Westland is now proclaimed State Forests/, whether provisional or permanent done not matter much for in both cases the areas are controlled by the very costly State Forest Service which lias been brought into being. The forest lands of this district have been regarded heretofore by the people as an asset for the future something to assist in providing revenue when ready facilities for export- were available. But the State Forest Service lies come ‘along claims the valuable territory and is going to use up tho income from the forest land, not in \o c al development and expansion but in providing means to carry on its* ox pensive methods of administration in other parts of the Dominion as veil as in this district. Other places having used or wasted the gifts of timber which nature provided for them, will now lean on the West Coart- for the money to do afforestation work necessary from their depletion of theii own preserves. This is a penalty quite unfair to place upon the West Coast and we do not see any suggestion of a quid pro quo being offered to make good this legalised steal. The Forestry policy is very unfair- m that respect alone, and we venture to say that no other industry in any ether paid- of the Dominion has been .so treated without some generous offer to take the place of the com mod't.v com andeered. Tile Forests Bill as last introduced into Parliament wos ui earnest of the confiscatory policy in regard to timber and revenue which the Department was bent on appropriating not to use a stronger term.

In regard to the Forests Bill of last session the timber milling industry and the local bodies interested k the vvenue derived therefrom, were saved irom a disastrous piece of legislation at the very last moment in Parliament!. The tr'end of the legislation which was so upset as i( result of the spirited agitation from this quarter, is proof of the predatory in/dinations of the Forestry Department Tin's brings us to the realisation of tli > price this district has to pay for the policy of conservation as practiced by the expensive Department referred to. It is a remarkable fact that at a time of financial stringency the Department referred to is brought into being. "When other Departments have to submit to the pruning knife as regards salary and staff, the Forestry branch is the favored Department, and , appointments are made at enhanced i salaries', and money is borrowed to j carry on the Department. It wou’ - have been more economical for the Go- j vernment to reach the same gonl of | conservation bv a much cheaper ! course. Forestry matters could well j be left in the Lands Department and I the officers of that- branch could have carried on as well as Lands officers as Forestry officers, Tn most instances Lands officers were transferred to the

Forestry branch at increased salaries to do less work, for while in the service of t-he Lands they attended to other fifties besides forestry work, Having been trmferredi office tifkl to* fmirul ti) fli] ilifir plur?* in

the Lands, and this is the price me country is paying for its conservation policy as at present expensively conducted. Reform as manifested in regard to the timber policy of the country is a very expensive luxury, and we do not know that the country can afford luxuries at this juncture. When the debit balance of the Forestry Department is finally realised' by the people there will be more heard about the expensive methods now in fuT practice.