NEW ZEALAND FORESTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 4, 4 January 1877, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND FORESTS.

Qapiain Campbell . Walker recently delivered a lecture on this subject before the Otago Institute. The following were bis concluding remarks :— " Speaking broadly, however, I repeat thai I have formed a high opioion ,of the New Zealand forests, and I think if the public will permit ue, we shall make a very valuable property of what we reserve, and secure a fair and steadily increasing revenue from what we dispose of. Jt .has, I am aware, been argued by gome that 'the £10,000 per annum . appropriated tinder the State Forests Act is inadequate for planting purposes, and that, as the colony cannot afford to supplement it, or even to spend that earn, the whole thing had better be dropped. Now, I am very glad to have the £10,000 appropriation fpr the first few years as a reserve fund to be drawn upon, but I do not intend to trench much upon it, and an; r scheme which I may bring forward will be baaed oa the principle that the Forest department shal.lbe^e.ntirialf' self-supporting, < the revenues derived from existing indigenous forests in the 'hands^ Qf the Cfown being made sufficient to cover all expenditure for establishments, and working, gradual formations of plantations, & c «> & c m the surplus, after defraying the above charges, being Colonial Forest revenue. This is the system that we have gone on in India, where we took over a forest property in a muoh more dilapidated state than that of New. Zealand, and burdened by the immemorial rights and privileges of a Native population, . numbering upwards of 200 millions, and be»ve nevertheless, I am proud to say, paid our way, formed ext9naive plantations,, and already secured an annually increasing surplus of revenue over, expenditure. I wish especially tp guard myself against forming or expressing Utopian or too rosy views on this subject, and I can have no interest in over-estimatiog the value and importance/ of the forests, as it is very improbable that I shall be able to remain as conservator, even if the Government add House should wish to retain my aervioes beyond the year for which they are at present lent. I do not pretend that we are going to clothe barren hill sides and desert plains with trees in a year, or even several years, or that the indigenous forests are at once to pay off your colonial debt, but I do. say and think thac, with proper management, we shall be able to plant whereyer necessary, secure a peroianenVaod improved supply of timber, for the use of individuals and public dapirtmsots, and retain an intact and gradually improving forest property, whose capital value may represent your national debt, and the income derived from which ought to go far to meet the interest thereon. I think I am justified by what I have seen in considering that this may be done, but it can only be dune by the public and its represents- ' tives in the House regarding the question of Forest Conservation as a National or Colonial one, and not from a merely local point of view. v Whatever is dona must, of necessity, be done in the interests of the colony at large, that is to iay,ofthe public, and (ha only reason for State or Government interference and direct action ia that damage to forests cannot be repaired in a day, nor can they, if once destroyed, be replaced in a year like a crop of wheat. Even a generation is, as a rule, too short to grow good timber, and you will, lam sure, admit that of ail people colonists are the least likely to look beyond the present time or, generation. The Secretary of State for India, writing in 1863, r makes the following remarks bearing upon the po«it:^-"To forest?, from their nature, I the usual maxim of political economy j which leaves such undertakings to Private enterprise caonot be applied. Their vast extent, the long time that a tree takes to reach maturity, and the consequence that few persons iiva long enough to obtain any, and more especially the highest, returns from expenditure even once in the course of tfeeir lives, are proofs of ths necessity tbU forest management should be conducted on permanent principles, and not be left to the negligence, avarice, or caprice of individuals, and therefore poiot to the State as the proper administrator, bound to take care that, in supplying the want of the present generation, there is no reckless waste, ao needless forestalling of the supply of future generations. This is a matter of experience cot in India only, but in all other countries of the world." I have, you will bear io mind, nothing to do with colonial politice-r---aboittidn", separation, or federation. The views and principles of the present, past, and future Governments of the colony have no legitimate bearing on joy duty, which is at present to submit a Report on my inspection of the New ZeaUind forests, with proposals far fcjeir management and conservation. Those proposals, so far as I have given them shape in my own mind will consist io — 1. The absolute reservation of a comparatively small proportion of the unaiienated forest areas. 2. The gradual disposal of the timber and forest products on the remainder of the waste forest lands to the best advantage. 3.. The r formation of Governcnent plantations wherever we can do so without risk of financial loss, or it is proved that they are absolutely eaaeotjal : «othe public good. 4. The encourage©lnVof planting by private propr.ie.tors; s|iy5 |iy ; liberal grants "of land in lieu of ..^^nlaflifldlijreft. Ondar sacha.ayajfeia^he;

quite eolooial, and the expenditure be quite irrespective of the county or district, being iv fact greatest in the first instances in those contributing .the minimum of* forest revenue, viz, in creating forest where none at present exists. This is I fchiuk.fihe only feasible plan of action, and I hope tha Government may see their way to support it, and that the House may approve with such modification as they may think fit. ,We cap then set to work in a systematic and regular manner with our forest valuations and demarcation?, and. working district by district. Theae things cannot be done in a day, but they can be done in time, even in what are considered the moat inaccessible places, by perseverance and patience.