The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) MONDAY, SEPT. 10th, 1923 THE SWORD DAMOCLES.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) MONDAY, SEPT. 10th, 1923 THE SWORD DAMOCLES.

Damocles was one of the courtiers of Dionysius—the tyrant of Syracuse. When Damocles spoke in extravagant terms of the happiness of hia sovereign, Dionysius is said to have placed him at a sumptuous banquet with a naked sword suspended over his head by a single hair. Judging bv an interview with Mr Seed of the Sawmillers’ Federation in Saturday’s “Grey River Argus,” there

is a good deal of analogy with the position in which Damocles found himself, and the sawmilling industry in relation to the Forest Service. This is not news to our readers, hut it is interesting to have confirmation from one who is sitting under the suspended sword, and enjoying (?) a living only while that “single hair” holds good. In other words, the millers are fearful that the Forestry regulations maywipe them out at any moment. Air Seed puts the matter also hv analogy, and the figurative way in which he expresses it- will bring home to the native mind, the anxiety which the operations of the Forest Service cause in the millers’ camps. Ho told the Oreymoutli reporter: “We are in the position of the sparrow who is eating wheat oil the road and at each bite looks hurriedly round to see if disaster or death is nigh.” That is a veryagitated condition for any self-respect-ing person to he in, but when wo ponder over the fact that the story applies to the greatest avenue for employment in the whole Dominion, is it not time for the people as a whole to sit up and enquire how much further this iniquitous state of affairs is to go f Permit us to allow Air Sect! to continue Ids story. Tile Argus report goes oil: Continuing, Air Seed said that the Sawmillers were waiting and wondering what were the intentions of the Forestry Department. What were they going to do, and why? The millers were in a state of uncertainty, and did not know what to do. They "Ore looked upon by most people as “ghouls” which went about destroying forests just to gratify a fiendish desire for the lives of the trees. “People,” said, "must re* member, however, that just as you cannot have lish without water, you cannot have wooden houses without cutting down trees.” The Forestry Department were taking an autocratic stand and their report indicated proposals for the taking over of tramways and timber areas. If they took over tramways, the millers would have taken from them thru on which they had spent thousands of pounds, whilst if ■the timber areas were taken over, local 'bodies would lose, to a great extent, their source of revenue. “You had *, Royalties’ Commission licit' some time hack,” said Air Seed, “and County Council representatives told the Commissioner Strauehon then that the Council depended on the revenue it derived from timber lands for half its income. That will, most probably, all go if the Forestry Department take* over control of the timber areas.” We might quote Al,r Seed further, but enough has been said to confirm all the strictures passed in this column on the Forest Service, and to fully justify public action being directed towards arresting the Service- in the mad methods it is pursuing not only to destroy a great industry, but also to initiate a policy of confiscation which, if di-ret-ued towards other industries requiring capital, will undermine the faith of the investor ill public securities, and further deal the death-blow to that material progress wlueli conies from legitimate endeavour directed towards enterprising development, of natural resources which are here for developmental use. and not to be locked up indefinitely for smiiio crank ideas governing the fortunes of the unborn millions.