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Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1926, Page 2

A press telegram this week in report. > ! 'g a presentation to Sir Heaton Rhodes on his retirement from the Ministry of Forestry, gave out to the world that during the administration of Sir Heaton the total revenue of the State Forest Service had increased five-fold. This will be inferred bv the unknowing as a remarkable achievement reflecting the greatest credit on the unassuming Minister. 'But as a matter of fact that is not the ease, the

revenue is not due to Sir Heaton or to the State Forest Service. It is a tribute from nature’s bounty, and in gleaning the income, the Service is just living on its fat. using up its assets. and there is nothing immediate!” in sight to replace it. Also, although the shekels were raked in by the Service. in the ordinary course, were the Service non-existent, some other Department and the local bodies would have reaped tile harvest which the Government in its own superior u av. decided should go to the Forest Service. Another Department and the local bodies are really so much the poorer in order to permit the Forest

Service to pose as the special medium to garner nature’s bounty by royalty payments on timber cut. Viewed in this true light we do not. know there is anything specially to lie thankful for. Another aspect credited to the period of Sir ITcaton’s administration is that the area of State Forest plantations have increased from thirty-nine thousand acres to seventy-nine thousand acres. This carries even less conviction, for the increase adds enormously to the harden on the country. and even the five-fold increase in revenue is poinp to he taxed to its utmost to maintain these so-called forest areas. If we repaid the lo al plantation ns an example of the value of the Dominion plantations, we should say the country is going to find the whole proposition very costly, liefoie the plantations come to economic maturity muclf water will How down the Hokitika liver, and there will be an

enormous outgoing in cash to suppoit the scheme. As matters look at present we doubt if the scheme as being developed here will he ever of economic value to the country. The theme is not a now one in these columns, and tho same idea has been advanced picviously. But the expenditure has gone on, and while here the area has been increased, a lair estimate of the \a!nc of what is being done il carried out on an ir tnrial basis would disclose a very different view to that sought to be indicated by the praise given tor the '“progress” made during the pound Sir Heaton Rhodes’ administration. To our mind the whole proposal, as being worked out is a cosily and extravagant scheme, certainly with no immediate prospect oi success, "bile any hope as to the future must nc so long postponed that the people ol another day and generation might reap what is to he garnered fit the enor-

mous cost it is proving to the people of to-day.

Tin.; State Forest Service is well nuttiired. H has had the benefit of very useful ministerial direction in which it is not unfair to say Sir Heaton Rhodes has been hut a figure. We know that, tlie* real power behind the scenes has been Sir Francis Roll. \) bet |,e visited Hokitika some lew years ago. and discussed tho policy then propounded, he made no hone- about the position. Hi' did not ami does mil love the timber industry. He looks upon the industrialists furthering the timber trade as vandals. To circumvent them the Forest Service has beet, brought into being, and that department litis not failed in is ellort.s to give .shape to the policy of Sir Francis We have seen how the .Massey Government as a whole deterred to Sir Francis, and allowed hi- views lo over-ride the needs of County Government, and even other departmental administration-. He took power and | rivileges from both the hands and Mines Departments. and there Ini- been no one to say him nay. And having done all this, what is M.he position to-day? There i.s a very expensive Forestry Department to maintain, which is pursuing the exclusive policy ol Sir Flail eis Hell. Revenue set apart by Parliament for public purpose- was diverted bv later acts of Parliament pushed through the House practically under a cloak. Sir Frani is t:.-ed hi- .Minister-

i.ll advantage probably a- it lias no'-'Or heotl liv'd Ik* Tore. mill Inca I bodies were not dealt wit!i faifly. Tin* itidnst:y itself ba.- been jeopardised till it i-. non menaced with ;i t■ ritii-aI situaton. An oversea trnde. which gave <*m|>l l »y lll <• 111 far tint! wide in Now ZetiI; i ml. tmil affected railway ain I shipping trade to no snitill degree. i- gradually passing 1 1 oiti tho Dominion. This great Ins.. iitt'ans stapi.nl ion. if mil ruin to iiiuitv. a position which Sir Francis wa.s frank onoiigli to rei in wlit'ii he d isciis-c',l the mat ter with the ('oast sauinillcr.s at Hokitika a lew years ago. It is reiiiarkalilr ilia* while all this liar linen developin'' puli, lie interest in the subject as nlferting the iltdust rial side has no lieen arottsetl to any great extent. The local bodies carried out a persistent agitation for a time in an endeavour to recover lost revenue, and were pi veil n small dole in the end. hut lost nearly a third ol their legitimate revenue. which lias pone to holsler up the Forest Service. Just why the ratepayers in the many districts affeeed have accepted this is surprising, except it he that the people have come to regard it as a fact that the Government can do no wrmr.c At, all events there is the situation, the Forest Service is flourishing on revenue taken Irom others, and heinp spent in an extravagant manner greatly apainst the principle under which royalty payments were first enforced. The Service is pur.suiiip a policy which as fains can he judped locally is not regarded its a possible success hut tho people remain indifferent and so (lie waste goes on. Whether the new Minister w ill seek to retrieve (he position remains to ho soon.