FORESTRY SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1928, Page 1

FORESTRY SERVICE

EMPIRE CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA.

AUCKLAND, Aug. 13.

Passing through by the Niagara, today are several heads of the Forestry Service of Canada. They are bound for the British Empire Forestry Conference, which assembles in Australia this month. At the head of the delegation is Mr E. H. Finlayson, Director of Forestry in Canada. He is vice- [ president of the conference. Mr E. Roy Cameron, Associate Director, Dr •T. M. Swayne, head of the Federal Entomological branch, Mr E. J. Znbwitz, Deputy-Minister for Forestry for tbe province of Ontario, and Mr P. Z. Caverliill, Chief Forester of British Columbia, are also members of the party. Another delegate is Lieut.General Sir William Furze, Director of the Imperial Institute which keeps closely in touch with Empire forestry problems. The last conference was held in Canada in 1923 under the presidency of Lord Lovnt, on that occasion head or the. British Delegation. This year Lord Clinton will he the principal British representative. It is anticipated that not only the Dominions and Colonies will be represented at the gathering in Australia, but also the Crown Colonies, as was the case five years a,go.

The object of these quinquennial gatherings is two-fold. Firstly, the meetings are intended to assist the countries in which they are held by bringing about an exchange of the knowledge of the best brains engaged in this important subject. Secondly it Has been demonstrated that such conferences stimulate public interest in the problems of forestry, and so increase tile susceptibility of the Governments to listen to the representations of their officials that more money should he made available for the, actual prosecution of the services in their own countries. It has been gradually brought home to most of the Empire Governments of recent years that we arc within measurable distance of a world’s timber shortage and that such a state of affairs portends a. real national calamity. It is just here that the British Empire Conference is doing possibly its most valuable work. The procedure of the present conference will lie to first of all visit the

natural forests and plantations in Australia, commencing with the hardwood districts of the Far West. After extensive observations in the field, fine days will be devoted to meetings at Canberra. Later most of the delegates

probably as many as thirty, will visit New Zealand, spending a fortnight in this Dominion.

The New Zealand representatives to attend the Conference have not yet been appointed.