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Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1927, Page 2

Before closing our references to the plight of the timber industry for the present—unfortunately there will be occasion to refer to the subject later—it is worth while in the intercss of general publicity—as a means to enlighten the public, to say something about the afforestation in the light oF the set policy above referred to which has brought disaster to the millers ami those employed in sawniTiling. It appears to be a useless work to maintain an expensive Department in costly afforestation work while there is so much ripe timber in New Zealand going to waste. The/e is much fond for thought in the fact that there is an enormous wastage to-day of out 0.8. timber. Some eighty-five per cent, of the forest is of this class, and there is not any adequate sale for the timber. Yet, as has been pointed out by a writer in the Auckland Star, at the same time the public and New Zealand Government are annually spending large sums of money in growing trees, which in 25 to ,10 years’ time they hope to mill in place of the then vanished forest. Surely if forests centuries old can produce only a low percentage of heart, it is absurd to expect anything but sapwood in trees only 25 years old. Surely it is an astounding business proposition to spend thousand upm thousands of pounds in growing trees that will never produce timber equal to the millions of feet of Q.B. timber that are to-dav being left, to rot in the millers’ yards. That is the economic problem which presents itself in regard to afforestation expenditure at this juncture, and while the Government is being pressed to overhaul its policy in regard to the maintenance of the industry, it would he well fo take a cool review of where the afforestation schemes are going to land the country. Great- expenditure is going on year after year, and the financial return will never he equal to the expenditure involved. 'Die country has timber prnsaAoThefrednrkinh’et—?— ‘ been largely hoodwinked about its timher prospects. In some instances it has been misled. It has been told what other countries were doing or going to flo, hut these countries are still export-

ing ami taking advantage of the peculiar mind of tlio Government on 1 lie subject in this country, are still going on flooding Neiv Zealand ports with cheaply produced timber to continue io embarrass the local markets. And so we come back to the broad fact that New Zealand favours afforestation—the planting of soft woods—while to-day there is an actual waste of better timl>er than the future generations can derive from the plantations, simnlv because of the crass stupidity and worse, which guides the timber policy of the Dominion. Perhaps the people are waking up at last, we hope so, for a great waste and immense injury is being done by reason, of the timber policy of the country as it .has developed for the last six or seven years.