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Hokitika Guardian, 6 March 1926, Page 2

It remains to be seen whether anything can he: done to save tlvj Government water races at Kumara- for the benefit of the community as a whole. During tlit; week the .Minister made it plain that he was about to dispose of the water races to the highest bidder. As an outcome a very strong appeal was made by several speakers at the banquet at Kumara. in the effort lo turn the Minister from hi- fell purpose. He stated afterward, that he was impressed by what- had been said, and was prepared to give more time for considering the fate of the water racc-c MV nol ice by the order paper for the meeting of the County Council on Tm-dav, that. Mr Murdoch has giv.-u 1 1 - l i ! i <• to iu->ve that a conference cf lu.-al bodies and oihi.us interested, he call-si to consider ways and means to save the situation. It appears to be tin* definite do: i-ion of thr; Government. to get rid of the races. This is a retrograde step when we regard the rail's fur what they are - public servers. Mater is indispensable for a goldfield, and as the Kumara. district. i„ highly auriferous, tie need foi il.e races has not yet passed. .fil'd why milling has declined is /.too easily explainable. Tbs alluvial miner was the worst hit of all industrialists by the war period. Many of the- class went readily to active service. Those who were left had to face an increased cost of living and a high cost of production. Everything used

about a mine went up in price substantially. But there was no increase in the value of the commodity produced. It had its standard value. The alluvial miner had all immediate difficulty in balancing liis income with his expenditure. In point of fact he tailed to do so; and as higher wages were offering in other a,venues of employment, the alluvial miner was forced to abandon bis regular occupation and seek a livelihood ill other ways. This explains a groat deal of the decline in goldni.ining— for where once a fair living could lie made, now with the increased cost of tools and production generally, gold at the standard price in the quantity recoverable by the individual miner cannot be made payable. Such being the ease, the position must not be decried because there is a dearth of alluvial miners, hut Ix>causc 11 no circiinisiamos drove them from the fields. As to retaining the races it is to he hoped some scheme will lie devised. .Mining must come again in the district, and the races must ho retained for the rejuvenation of the gold-field. It is lo be hoped the suggested conference will come to pass, and n practical way out of the difficulty found.

. In oIi 11 ■ r l,is views at Kuninrn on , domestic :ili'aiis tl:o other day, llse lion Anderson. Minister of Alines. ; tom-hod upon thi? restrictions placed on timber export, and the policy of the Forestry Department generally in ro- . f .-ronce to its restrictive clinracler. ! ,\r Anderson was at one with the Department in believing that, there should . he this restriction in the interests of posterity, lie went on to state that the forests did not belong to the people of this day hut was a heritage for all time, and the* forests should he conserved for those who were to come alter. Surely Mich a policy is. wide of the murk. If such a policy is to apply to the forests, why is it not made to apply to the gold and coal, and similar products which yield only one crop. Indeed such a policy is more applicable to mineral jirodm ts, hecau.se once the. gold or coal is won, it can never lie replaced ly the aid of man. It is nature’s part to create more gold and coal, and that process takes a vast cyi.'l’? of years But ii is within the power of man to replace and renew the forests ill a uunparatively short term of years. It is in that direction that the Forestry policy should he dinocted—afforestation and reafforestation. Two of three decades suffice for the growth of many imported timbers, hut of course the native trees take a far more indefinite period to grow into useful timber dimensions. But what has Keen done in the way of afforestation and reafforestation is sufficient in itself to disclose that the n?stfictions in regard to timber export are wrong and unfair. The economic harm in the loss of employment, wealtli production, and general prosperity by the restrictions is becoming enormous. Enterprise is being restricted most seriously and if Air Anderson and his colleagues would investigate that side of the question and see what harm is being done to the fortunes of the present generation which have to live, more and have their being now, he ami they could weigh that result against the visionary advantage the

heavy conservation of our natural timber resources is going to l>e for posterity. There is far too much theory involved in the forestry policy of this country, and a serious penalty is being imposed on the present generation as a result. Enlightenment wo suppose will come som.s day, blit meantime the conntry is paying a huge price for the

practice of theories to which we have referred.