STATE FOREST SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1927, Page 4

STATE FOREST SERVICE

ANNUAL REPORT DISCUSSED. (Hansard Report. ) Mr Seddon (Westland), —Sir, the House is indebted to the last speaker (Ml* Hockley) for the information he gave us in connection with the woodpulp industry. With regard to that matter, 1 believe the Forestry Department has sent an expdrt to America to investigate the conditions, and so far as the West Coast is concerned, we await with great interest the result of his visit. It is a deplorable fact that necessarily in the production of our timber under existing methods much waste is incurred, and if some means could be devised of utilizing this waste lor pulp purposes a valuable new industry would bo evolved, it is deplorable the amount of timber that 1s wasted in our sawmilling operations. Slabs and waste timber which are too expensive to he transported by rail for firewood purposes might be used for wood-pulp purposes. We have set aside on the West Coast vast areas of land which cannot be utilized in the ordinary way for sawmilling purposes, but these areas do contain a great quantity of wood which could be used foi pulp purposes, and I hope the Minister, when he replies, will he able to let us know what is being done in that respect. I understand tbe export tc whom 1 have referred is at the present time in Wisconsin, where he is pursu-

ing his investigations with a view to | ascertaining what progress is being made in America in this science. l Years ago the Minister of Agriculture, 1 Fir Thomas Mackenzie, sent Homo spei imens of our timber in order to ascertain whether anything could he done to convert them into pulp, but the investigations disclosed the fact that it would be so expensive, on account of the amount of dye in our timbers, that the proposition would not be a commercial success. So, although a very great deal lias been said I and done about tbe subject, when our I expert comes hack we may look for-, • ward to the time when this industry j will he a very real one. The honour-1 1 able member for Rotorua also referred to the Conservator’s estimate of the , ; life of the timber industry in New I I Zealand. 1 think his estimate has been [ based upon facts submitted to him by j j bis officers, and it shows that in a j [ very few years’ time the commercially [ valuable timber will be cut up. That , necessitates on the part of the Department a policy of safeguarding what the Department already possesses in the way of our indigenous forests. At tbe same time. 1 may suggest to the Minister where lie lias to look in the future for bis supply of timber—that , is, to the south part of the Westland , District—lie can do something towards j helping the industry by affording good access by road and railway. Timber - companies have inquired into these re- , sources and have come to the conclu- , sion that there are no ports in that j vicinity which are at present available for export, and the timber people and others have urged on the Government the necessity for giving access to those , areas. 1 hope, therefore, the matter j will be borne in mind by the Minister. It would be a simple matter to extend the railway from the Ross terminus to tap these forests in South Westland. AVitb regard to another subject which interests the Department, I would like j to mention the (lax industry, and to ask the Minister what has been done by the experts to foster this industry. It is a fact that last year the value of hemp exported from the Dominion was only L‘500,000. That is a very small amount when one considers the possibilities of this trade and when one also considers the value and quality of the fibre of New Zealand flax. "We are told that the quality of our fibre is excelled by that of no other country. Mr Rhodes.-—That is acknowledged

the world over. Mr Seddon.—As the honourable member lor Thames 'says, that is acknowledged the world over. And yet the output from this country only equalled J per cent of the world’s trade. It has been .suggested to me on the West Coast of the South Island that if the Eo res try Department exerted itself ii would lie able to plant out areas which were not quite suitable for growing trees with millions of llaxplants, which it is estimated in three to live years would have grown to a stage when they could bo cut and the fibre utilised. 1 have bail brought under my notice an area of land—l.ooo acres. I believe—close to tlie nursery on Ibe "West Coast, near Woodstock, ami it is considered to he most suitable for the planting of flax. Now, Sir, we are told over and over again that there is no work for the unemployed, hut if this business were undertaken it would give employment to a considerable number of men, and in a few years’ time the Government would reap the reward. Flax of the best quality is grown on the north side of the Hokitika River, and the fibre generally in Westland is of the best quality. Nothing, however, lias been done in the way of planting-out young flaxbushes in suitable places. A big field in this direction awaits the attention of the Agriculture and Forestry Departments. The nursery in Westland, which has been established by the Forestry Department, is adjacent to the area I have in mind, and in a very short time we could have the flaxhushes planted. The question suggests itself. Has the Department made sufficient investigation in order to find out which is the best class of flax to plant in New Zealand? We are assured that there are about eleven different species of flax, but lias the Department made investigation in order to ascertain which species have the host fibre for turning into hem]) As far as 1 am able to find out. very little lias been done in that connection. j Mr Rhodes.—Private enterprise has | done a great deal in that direction.

Air Seddon.—lt certainly has, hut I am asking what investigations have been carried out by the Department of Agriculture, and also by the Forestry Department. When .Sir Thomas Mackenzie was Minister of Agriculture J believe certain investigations and experiments were carried out at Weraroa, near Levin, but 1 am not aware what the results were, nor do I know whether the information was given out or whether those interested in tlie flax industry availed themselves of the information. It has been suggested that by hybridizing a type of flax might be produced which might produce better fibre even than tlie flax which is being milled at the present time, and I would like to find out from the Minister what he is doing in that regard. I would like to bring under the notice of the Minister of Agriculture and also the Minister of Lands that in regard to certain areas of land over which the Lands Department lias jurisdiction there are cattle roaming which destroy flax-hushes. This calls for co-ordination between the two Departments, because in some parts of New Zealand the Lands Department issues licenses to people to run cattle on land which is not very valuable, and the damage done to flax-bushes amounts to thousands of pounds. It lias been suggested that these areas are just as valuable for running sheep on, and ti.is should be done if possible, because sheep do not destroy flax-bushes. Another matter which calls for coordination between the two Departments is in connection with the granting of licenses throughout the Dominion by the Lands Department, through

I tlie Lnnd Boards, for people to go on land which is utterly hopeless as fains farming is concerned. It seems to he a senseless tiling to put settlers on these areas and to hope and expect them to carry out farming in a successful kind of way. If there was a proper classification of these lands the Lands Department, coukl say to the j settlers, “ We have found out that this land is hopeless for farming, so it is l useless to give you a grazing license, but it will grow flax or timber well.” If the Forestry Department collaborated with the Lands Department it could set to work and open up areas On the West Coast where the hush has been cut out the land has been turned over to the Lands Department, and there have been innumerable instances of that Department putting farmers on to those areas which are hopeless ns a farming proposition. The Minister himself, when visiting the locality, was appalled when he saw one or two struggling farmers trying to eke out a living on these sections. It would ho much wiser to have a proper class!-| fieation, and for the Lands Department to state that the land is unsuitable for any kind of fanning, hut is suitable for the planting of trees, and that policy to he adopted by the Forestry Department. If it were not to he used for the planting of trees, it might ho used for the planting of flax. Now, in regard to the question of hybridizing flax and finding out the quality of the fibre, 1 desire to ascertain what lias been done, either by the Forestry Department or hv the Department of Argiculture. and whether he as the results of the experiments carried out by private persons. I feel cpiite sure that in regard to the proposition 1 have suggested to him for the West Coast of the South Island it. would in' a few years lie found to he a very payable proposition and one worthy of the attention of the Government. Concerning wood-pulp, ]• want to sav that on the West Coast, where thousands of acres have been set aside as a reserve for wood-pulping purposes, we await with very great interest the result of the investigations that are being made in America by the Department’s expert.