FORESTS AND FORESTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 25 August 1923, Page 2

FORESTS AND FORESTRY

NOTES ON THE DIRECTOR’S REPORT. The annual report of the Director of Forestry for the year ended 31st. March last year has been circulated, oome rather startling features in connection with the report wore commented on ill the leading columns of this paper last week, and as tho articles appear to have aroused a good deal of interest, outside the district as well as in Westland generally, wo feel constrained to give more than passing attention to the .subject. As was said editorially tlie subject is of the highest importance to this district from various points of view, and wo propose to carry our comment further and offer notes for consideration of the general reader on the Director's report. Tho notes will be published as time and space permit, and for that reason those of our readers who feel an interest in the subject, might file the series of special articles to appear, for future rel’crenco. The subject in our opinion, is of vital import to Westland, which is our sole reason for giving this special prominence to tho matter to be treat-

The report of tlie Director, while it is for the financial year ended last March, covers also proposals for the future, thereby throwing light on tho predestined policy of the Department. I.et it be said at the outset that it would he hard to find any justification for the reommemlations as appearing on the first folio of this very illuminating report. The first suggestion is that “a special State Forest Purchase Account of £s(X).€<>.) should he established for the acquisition of highly valuable Native and privately owned

forests.” If the Service were intent on serving the interests of the community it would not seek to sink public money in ‘‘highly valuable forests.” These iorests are of matured growth, and will be just as well preserved for public use in private bands, as in the hands of tbe l-'orest Service. What would be more to the point and in keeping with a sincere forestry policy as wo conceive it. and he more to the country's interest. would he tor the Service to acquire such areas as are at present of low value: or, better still, use such poor areas that are already acquired ; and following out the functions of a constructive Forestry Department (its legitimate work) make those areas into timber producing forests. Let us comment further, and the reader should load, mark and study what we have to say in legitimate comment on the Forest Service as it is operating now. It is, wo would say, quite ill keeping with the general operations of the Service, that it should seek to reap only what others have sown. The Service. actually has developed largely into a trading concern: but its method ~f trading is rotten oonum-reially. It has lu>on entrusted with a valuable national estate to administer, and tho manner in which it is doing so is to realise its assets and place the whole of the proceeds to the credit of profit and loss account. Here is a special

note:— . It is busily engaged emptying the shelves of the goods entrusted to it. and it is not using the proceeds to

reinstate those assets. ■\Vliv spend SoOO.OOU to purhase standing timber:' Would not tho true policy he to spend £500.000 in growing more timber —adding to the production: inn appropriating what is grown already:- ,

Tbe fact is in view of tbe straitened state nf New Zealand’s finances, tlie Service could not hope for a vote direct from the Consolidated Fund to cover its managerial expenses: and knowing that it would not Is' given authority to float further loans for that purpose, it proposes that Government should give it half a million of hard cash to buy timber which the State Forest Service can sell immediately and enter the proceeds up as REVENI E! Deliver us from such iniquity.