FORESTRY LEAGUE

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1929, Page 7

FORESTRY LEAGUE

PROBLEMS CONSIDERED

ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT

WELLINGTON, July 1

At the iiinnisil mooting of the New Zealand forestry League held on i'n-cia-y in the Dominion farmers’ institute, Mr James Deans, thcTpresident, in reviewing tlie lores try position lor the past year said that the outstanding event was undoubtedly the visit of the third Empire Forestry Conference to the Dominion. It was very unfortunate for New Zealand that their visit was so short and that they could have had only a very hurried impression of our varied forestry problems. It was also to be regretted that in the time at their disposal the conference should have so much travelling to do, and so could not devote its full thoughts and energies to the solution of our many difficulties in our forestry work. AVc should have made the very most of the opportunity that was placed before us and concentrated their energies on some of our very definite problems. Concerning some of the points that the conference * recommended, Mr Deans said: “The impression of this committee seemed to be that we were not devoting sufficient time and study to our native and indigenous forests. This point of vipw though no new one, would find a great deal of support throughout the country We should do all in our power to look after our timber trees, and if possible to evolve some scheme whereby we could perpetuate these forests, so that they might bring in a constant and increasing revenue. This should be possible by the use of better sylvicultural methods.”

After discussing the problems of thinning, Mr Deans stated that every endeavour should lb© made to foster a market W the thinning. Marketing in New Zealand presents much greater difficulties than it did in many other countries on account of the distances of the plantations from the centres of industry, and the high costs of transport and smallness of the population. We would be wise to take more into consideration the proximity of our exotic plantations to our manufacturing areas, if we were to expect a high return from our artificial forests.

FORESTRY EDUCATION. He stressed the importance of education in connection with forestry ■''hocls. He considered that training resources should not be divided, and iimyosted that the'' o f,,, 1d he one school either at Auckland or Christchurch, and that the Government’s decision should be final. A very large planting programme had been carried out, and the ultimate aim of planting an area of '•00,000 acres by 10'" w' v ”ld he easily accomplished, said Mr Deans, He suggested it might be wise to tapei off the very largo planting programme, and devote more time and money to the sylvicultural care of the forests already established, and also to what •emaining areas there are of indigenous forests. It had been stated •lint only two species of native tree* iiad proved capable of regeneration on an economic basis. Those wen the beech and kauri. The beech was known to be a free seeder and rapid grower, and this tree must he of economic value to New Zealand. Th< kauri, however, although it had the haracteristics of free generation, lui' 1 not the same rapidity of growth. But onsidering its timber value, it should return a profit in, what was considered by a forester, a reasonable period.

COSTS TOO HUGH. In conclusion, Mr Deans referred to be difficulties that were besetting he timber trade at the present time. “These troubles,” lie said, “are caus'd mainly by high wages, royalties, transport and handling charges, the •umulative effect of which is to force the price of timber to such a height

that it is difficult to compete with timber imported from foreign countries. Cheap timber is a necessity to the welfare of the country, but unless these charges can he reduced there is very little prospect of a reduction in prices taking place. It inis been stated tlia it costs as much to bring timber from the mills in the centre of the North Island to Wellington, as it does to ship from the Pacific Coast to New Zealand, which enables outside timber to come in and compote successfully with our own—a state of tilings which makes it almost impossible for the timber trade to reduce prices to the consuming public.”

INEVITABLE FUTURE SHORTAGE

Jn replying to the address Mr E. Phillips Turner, Director of Forestry, said experts considered that the natural timber supplies of this Dominion would bo exhausted by 1965. Tt was further considered that exportable surpluses in botli America and Canada would disappear in 20 years’ time, and even now those countries were importing timber from the Baltic States. It was thus all the more important for us to prepare for the future with all possible speed, and bo urged local bodies to go in for forestry. Concerning the methods of regeneration no definite conclusion had been reached. Experiments, however, were continuing, and when further advanced the results would be published. Anyhow, he said, it was a very costly matter. Concerning the inevitable shortage of timber he said it was not improbable that in some cases after we had exhausted our natural timbers we might have to wait 200 years for others to take their place. Artificial forests, he explained, although the only remedy for the coming shortage, did not produce desirable heart weed until the trees were comparatively old. For instance a- one foot totnrn or kauri had no heart wood at ail These artificial forests, then, couh! not hone to supply woods of a quality as good 'as the natural forests. There was every likelihood of the wool of the future being distinctly inferior, full of knots and of low quality. Dealing viith gulping Mr Turner said that it was 'not yet known which were the best methods to employ for different kind of trees, but that the matter was receiving urgent attention, and considerable numbers of tests were'being made on the subject.