WESTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1924, Page 4

WESTLAND.

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

WORK' OE FORESTRY DEPARTMENT. (By Hawera "Star'’ Representative). Tin- gradual fiiiritioii of the lorest areas of New Zealand by sawmills lin-> brought about a condition of affairs which those whose interest in the welfare of the country extends beyond their own generation, view with the deepest concern, and failing ri vigorous re-afforestation policy, a stage lias been reached, in the judgment of many, at which the end of tiie timber industry is within measurable distance. No one would dispute the wisdom of treoplauLing, which in many parts of the country has become an urgent necessity, but those who fear that the time when all the natural hush will bo worked out is near at hand would he reassured if they were to pass over the West Coast roads and see the immense areas of standing bush, chiefly limn, which yet remains. Though sawmills are increasing and have pushed their tramways to places considered very remote a few years ago, there are huge blocks of heavily-limbered land which, as yet. have never bad an axe in them, and far back towards the mountains, almost the full length of Westland, there are forest areas at present inaccessible or too costly to work. Some of the sawmills on the West Coast arc very big concerns, and in following up the hush, rivers and gullies are spanned by bridges which would la' considered '.till propositions for local bodies. On what has been done in the past, it is sale to say that all the hush on the Coast with a commercial value, and not reserved by the State for scenic purposes, will tall sooner or later hetore the axe ol the bushtuan. Endeavours were made to obtain estimates of the area ot timber vet available or ot the time it would take to cut it out, but to the (pies, tionx pul no "lelinite answer could he given. A forestry authority said that the hush the mills are at present working upon would keep them going lot tlie next thirty years at least, and other areas known to he workable would extend the period of millers’ activity to 50 years. 'Die timber in South Westland is practically untouched. Along the 00 miles of road between Hokitika and the Waiho River there are many heavily-timbered areas, and apart from that seen close to the roadside, there is an almost unbroken line of hush over the whole distance, which clings close lo the sea and is separated from that lying towards Hit hills by farm lands, lakes and swamps. One ol the finest hushes yet awaiiiim exploitation is ai Okarito. where : very large area inis remained untouched up to the present time, having (scaped the attention of sawmillers because flic cost ol transport is so heavy. A small boat trades lo Okarito, hut the harbour conditions are not satisfactory for thg timber trade, and only suited to the necessities of the small

farming eoinnomity in tin* district. Motor lorries are now being lively

used in connection with Hie limber industry, but there is naturally a limit to the distances over which they can tie profitably employed. Mr J. Bassett writing in the Hokitika Guardian on the Jackson I!av (list riel, refers to the

timber fagus nietirv ieait, eomimnih called red beech or silver beech. 'lbis timber, he says, is lound on moderately high country, and though it. lias been proved equal, if not stipiqior in every respect to rimii for building purposes, where contact with the ground is avoided, very til lie has vet been marketed, and the writer asserts that it would take 111 to 50 years to cut out the hushes of this timber in South Westland. There is a good deal ol timber in Westland, which, of coui"o. never will be cut. The conservation

arcus are very extensive, and ..ulh'.ieol foresight has been show n* n *1" le-

peet to ensure for sight- ,cei.: lor all

time, quite unimpaired, the heautilul scenery of South Westland, to which the native forests make an essential contribution. On each side of the road right down Lo the glacier the hush for a distance of ten chains hack is reserved on all lands held by the Crown. There are private lands which at present contribute to the pleasure of tour-

ists, hut no restraint can he exercised over the owner* ol these lands. The mills in Westland are turning out about 50,000,001) superficial feet of timber per annum, and about 700,000 feet is finding its way through the Oiira tunnel every week. Extensive

in the Dii'li areas remaining are, export at such a rate cannot go on indefinitely, and recently the Forestry Department lias been giving close attention to tin- problem of re-afforestation. A

good start lias been made and experi incuts go far to justify Hie hope thal it will lie possible by extensive treeplanting to preserve an equilibrium between supply and demand. Hie department- has a plantation near Himu. a few miles south of Hokitika, which now contains 8b,2-30 trees. The pre-

dominating species are pinu.s ponder osa and the Douglas fir. Of the termer -ft),000 trees have been planted ami of the latter 27,02 b. Other species are red cedar. Norway spruce, Canadian

poplar, pinu.s radiata and pinus muricata. It has been found that- one man can plant from 3-MI to 100 trees per day, and so far not a single tree lias failed. Not only do the trees take readily, but the growth is phenomenally rapid, the average for two months being eight indies, while some trees

have as much as one loot ton inches in that time. From what lias been accomplished so far, the conditions in Westland will make possible tree-planting upon a scale that would he impossible in any other part of the Dominion, and there are large areas of land eminently suited to this purpose which could not be made to return a profit in any other way. The Department is starting a nursery at Hack Crook, a mining district close to Itinip, where trees for the plantations will be reared. In the past year DIO acres were planted, and 200 acres are now in the course of preparation for further planting. The results so-fnr have been well beyond expectations, and the work will no doubt be continued on an increasingly large scale from year to yea r.

SAWMILLERS! Messrs Andrews and Heaven have particularly fine working exhibit on their stand at the Kxliibition which will interest you considerably. The exhibit shows a. line of shafting with pulleys etc., mounted on ball bearings being started up and driven by a tenth of a horse power motor. As a large number of the mills are underpowered the fitting of these hearings would greatly increase the power being transmitted at a low cost. Our representative, Mr M. Heaven, is in attendance at stall No 33, and will gladly give all particulars, quotations, etc.