The Guardian (And Evening star,with which is in-Corporate the west coast Times.) MONDAY, AUGUST 20th. 1923 WAKING UP

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening star,with which is inCorporate the west coast Times.) MONDAY, AUGUST 20th. 1923 WAKING UP

f At last the snwuiillers of the Dominion are waking up to the menace of the Forest. Service ns it affects the great industry and enterprise of sa'.vimiling in New Zealand. For a long time now wo have referred at intervals to the menace of tho policy of the Department, and what wo have forecasted is coming true, unfortunately. It is satisfactory from our point of view to find tho millers of the North Island alive to the situation— late as they are in the day. But they are ahead of their South Island comrades who do not appear to hare anything liko the organisation that is suggested in the namo of tho North Island dissociation— Tlie Alain Trunk Timber Trade Protection Guild. Tho South Island millers will ho well advised to eimliarly co-operate and got busy in public propaganda work which should in turn wake up the public mind to a sense of the gravity of the situation. The North Island millers who met last week wore representative of practically a;i tho si .v mi Hers on tho main trunk and Hotorua linos. They were galvanised into activity on this occasion by the report, proposed bv the Director of Forestry and recently presented to Parliament. The report, carries forward the past policy of Government interference and confiscation with private property to tho extent of further stagnating industry, as well as once and lor all stifling private enterprise. Tire resolutions- carried at the Taumarunui conference and published in Friday’s issue, set- out three heads under which the meeting raised a very proper, though a much belated demand. The Forestry- policy as enunciated by a single member of the Cabinet (and we are not aware that any other member of f tire Cabinet has had the courage to | , openly support the policy—but all , stand by hypnotised by the doininat- •

ing .Mini-tor and allow a great wrong to be done) was foisted cn the country through the medium of a war measure. Thereby the Government took the right to control timber off a freehold. An Englishman’s castle was no longer his home. A predatory Government authority took the right to confiscate the timber product, or allow it to bo used or disposed of only as it wished. In the same way the export regulations restricting and prohibiting trading relations except only in the manner sanctioned by tin) Government, were brought into force. The wartime measures a.ro still ill forte and arc operating to ihe very serious disadvantage <4 u great industry, which under normal conditions was the greatest avenue for employment in all the industries cf New Zealand. The newer polity now being foreshadowed, carries Government interfeienco much further. It is proposed even to take control of thu private tramways put in by confiding sawmillers, who having obtained legal rights through the Warden’s Court, are in jeopardy of beilig pounced on by the predatory Forestry Sorviee, and find their expensively constructed lines operated bv the Government on such terms as the latter shall dictate. Mr Massey during the last election warned the country- against Socialists coming into power, but were Socialists in power they could not devise anything more socialistic or confiscatory than the proposals cf Air Massey's officer, the Director of Forestry. It has scented to us all along that if thu millers who are primarily interested did not assert themselves and seek to educate public opinion on what was transpiring, a position such as that which is now arising, would come to pass. Our tears were too well grounded, upd it is foi the millers now of this and every distirct to protest as the North Island mailers are doing against the encroachments of the !ore-try policy on the rights and privileges of private entorpiiso legitimately entered upon according to the law ot the land, and ui the same seemly and regular way carried into execution. The Government policy is destined to retleCt. on the name and credit o: the country, which seeks to Undermine rights granted by a law which a later law would over-ride. If such a thing happened in Russia perhaps we would not be surprised but what of it. wlicit Now Zealand is the location?