FORESTS AND FORESTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1923, Page 2

FORESTS AND FORESTRY

FURTHER NOTES ON THE DIRECTOR’S REPORT. No VII. Continuing the recital of “Accomplishments” under the heading ol -T''orestatiou and Forest-Extension,” the Forest Service report states that "very satisfactory progress has been made during year.” It is difficult to see where there is any cause for this satisfaction; unless the Service wishes it to he known that it is satisfied to rely on other bodies than itself to carry out the work for which it was primarily brought into being, or the work which the public were led to believe was the lofty ideas actuating the Forest Policy—-that is the perpetuation of our timber supplies. But wonderful to be said, the Service is about to start reafforestation in Westland—the true home of the Dominion forests.

The Service claims to have planted some 2,862 acres during the year, but in the same breath it tells us that it has planted only very slightly more than three quarters as many trees as have local bodies and private planters. Certainly, it is satisfactory Unit the public have done so much, but that cannot he counted as any “accomplishment” of the Service. Undoubtedly the credit for having aroused tiiis public spirit is due to the New Zealand Forest League, which is a self-sustained body of enthusiasts—expending its energies and resources for the common weal. There nro no office-seeking or office-retaining motives actuating the Lague, there is no hope of personal gain, its motives are pure. There seems to have been a laudable attempt at stock-taking in respect to our “National indigenous forest capital”—rightly so named. It is the same property, though, that, when sold by the Service, provides the so-called REVENUE. 'Hie result of the stocktaking is given as 8,4,33 million cubic feet, it is quite in keeping with tho general ambiguity of the report that ther should be nothing to guide one as to what these millions of cubic feet consist of. Presumably the statement refers to merchantable timber. The report further states that “the estimated annual inurement is 68,880,000 cubic feet,” which seems to us to be unwarrantably high; seeing that at this rate it wouid double itself in about 120 years. It is very doubtful if there is any increment whatever in our matured indigenous forests; and it would he interesting to learn upon what information the Service bases this estimate, or whether it is merely another wild guess. The service estimates the annual consumption at 83j million cubic feet. This is nearly three times the Service’s estimated production for 19231 It is nearly the actual sawn output for the three previous years. Wc fail to see how these figures ran ho reconciled, hut. coming from such a source, we are not surprised at such random stateincuts. .. .

Amongst other minor “accomplishments” is recorded the fact that “the opossum has become of economic \aluo in Xew Zealand, and incidentally a considerable* by-product- of the State Forests.. “Wc wonder if lie forms part of the 8,453 million cubic feet of capital, or bow many cubic feet of ‘Brer ’Possum’ have been taken into stock. Although the word “incidentally” is used. it. surely cannot ho claimed by the Service that ’possums are in the slightest degree incidental to the activities of the Service. A’et the Service’s talons are grasping the opossum revenue. and the worthy self-sustained Acclimatisation Societies will have to go short! The chapter on “Accomplishments concludes thus I “Forestry as a hamt and a highly profitable one has come to stay.” This recalls (lie story of the Scotchman. who, when remonstrated with, respecting his whisky-drinking habit, said:—“Alon! It’s no a Imbed— it’s a gift.” And so are our National Forests to the State Forest Service. Nor does the simile rest there-Tor surely the powers of absorption displayed by the Service are equally insatiable, and the Forests so absorbed have gone to ithead. That is its Supreme “accomplishment.'’