New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4902, 7 December 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7.

We have before alluded to the question of forest having dealt princijpalljrvwith the necessity for; some, , system of preservation and making provision for the future, and TalSo i showing : the evil results which must necessarily accrue from the destruction’which is at present going on. It is admitted on all hands that the existing machinery is too cumbersome and expenaive, .and that the .State, Forest department 1 will erelbhg be, 1 like provinjcialispi, athing T of.,the past. .Mr. Donald Reid last session brought down'a series of resolutions,to - be-attached otoWaste Lands Bill, under, which the control of th£ forests would have been placed in the hands ;of: the various Waste;Lands Boards throughout the colony ; but.it was generally admitted that this was. but a tempo;rary_provisi6h,.made in cohte’mplation. of the abolition:of ■ the' present 1 .department, which -was actually ! carried -in' the lower branch of the Legislature;, but thrown out by the’Tipper House. This abolitioh must necessarily cbine, if not next afesaion, certainly during the existence of the present Parliament; and when it does come, bold ! and comprehensive legislation will bo re--1 quired to place matters oh a more satisfaqtory footing, and the sooner the subject is grappled with the less will the'difficulty be in organising an efficient, system of forest control, and framing: equitable regulations for carrying it out. i In legislating upon this subject; the regulations should be made as simple as can be;' consistent with efficiency, and provision should be made'for every possible, contingency. Everything provided for should bis clearly defined by statute,, leaving little or nothing to be done by departmental regulations, and the discretion vested in Ministers or forest officials should be curtailed to the greatest ' possible extent, their functions being purely 'administrative. '"lt is:only fair to »awmillers and others that the rules which they have to Obey should be clearly defined, and- that everyone .should: Know exactly what he has got to do, arid w.hat he has not to do, 'so - that on.a rigid enforcement Of I the: provisions made 'each may know to what rights he is entitled; and no complaint can be made that respect has .been shown to one person: more than another. The clear definition by Parliament of every point which may possibly arise, will bei-a great Ijpon,both. to- Ministers and officials as, well as to those immediately interested in the cuttings of;, the timber, because it l will : prevent pressure being brought to boar in order to: secure favors ; ‘ and in-addition a - confidence will'arise that there' is a fair field and no favor for every man, which is certainly, not' the fact under the present/System;. Another question which" arises '' is the giving to 1 sriwrixillers 'some/ fixity,, 1 of 'tenure in the, areas set, fellingj/prid'the making!of some simple the: employes;,;majij bp , induced .tp’,settlp permanently on- and .improve lands-par-tiaUy cleared; Hinder the .existing system licenses are granted' to cut timber over ri.. certain specified area, but it is.in general terms and for" a' short-period, and thp dfaCtice f bf the sawinillers consequently ip to cut' ( best/treek/in that"^area; and ifi: their haste to clear the first-class timber, so as to patch and do like-, wise, an immense quantity of second and; tbirdrclass timber is passed oyer; which might and-ought to-be: utilised. It is ■only natural that the sawmillera. should look to'their own interests in this matter, and 1 ' take' when they have'the opportunity what'suita.'and' pays- 5 them best ; But;the - 'opportunity, which iS a fertile source- of wanton waste and destruction; should be i removed; .Not only is the . second and third -rate timber passed over under this system, but in . the I cutting of the first- class trees dt’ is permanently inj-. jnred,- Which ! would ’notbe the:caße.if ; the ‘Sawibiller ,f were’'"allowed; arid'infact compelled, to take, some permanent 'inter)- ! est’in' thb tvhdle r of ;| the/timbef /standing • on the fqr/ 'which " he ’receives Sis license, for then’greater care would be takeii mJelling the.treeaso.as .to.preservq 1 theyouriger .’One's 'from: injury. l :-;ln' granting a fixed area'fbr a’term of years (cate should be taken that large tracts of forest land are riot-°ritbnp|idlisedbut there wOuld nol be much fekr on this'scbre if a reri’t 1 wdre' pHarged ■ according! to' the ! ariea. $»• iliustfating whi(di.!..wa. :think should; be/laid r down, we would' suggest that a large block.should.,be set apart; ■ and-offereddor-lease for a term-of-years; Sf/ari pfas' under the*present' system.' Let this block be subdivided jnt'o. smaller. portions, not. ’according ; to’ size, but' tajdng -imo/cqn; '.sideration tSe quality andquanfiwbf.'the tidiber ..ripon ego^/subdivwion;: Hiyn ..to , the lessee the option ,aa to which siibdivisionhe will commence workupon, and when -it is worked out-td-his- satisfaction-let him give -notice* f &' projceed to fell iri another subdivisibi. When worked out it should res t witjh offi-. |'cialS , qf t t)!ie departffieritfq or ‘ ’ riot’ during'‘the tefiri, arid when, another} cutting;, rpight.be allowed; of /thaiyburiger trees would,' in the spacb .of-a.few. years, become -fit,. and .oL..thp 1 ( standairdf j for feUing.- a' : system, ySgeh, as..this, . fpresjp yoriljl not-,become,..utterly denuded,, andj, there would .also,be 'plenty of., trees j. from time to,tune,coming, tpiimaturityp,,ltinmy < be urged.that - the sawmilloraWill. .object! to any such system as that suggested;: as it ! will’tend ■•to , 'oreate /: monopolidß:;”‘but a objection might bW lirgrid against the ''grafting/ ol -.mining, and pastoral

leases, and in all cases where capital is investodit may be laid principle] that some fixity of tenure is better for all the'.partiea in"ferestecl/! :;6Ug-|te6ted,fviz.,(|ho-makmg!’bf some prhyision f|irSereb]9|’ th|| employes]: in gayrinills'may improve lands p'dftially'bleared—it would be a very simple matter for the officials to lay off certain blocks, and place them in the hands of the. Waste Lands Boards ’ as', op’fenj for, VettleWnt; ’ I These/ blocks > might ( be > disposed of on the deferred paymenVsoHemejmid* if Ihbsystenibf leasing jreas of forest land forfelling purposes is work Moat harmonioualy, for the laborer ' would he /erioofir-; aged to stay .with his employer; to the end. of his term, and oh its expiration',. would have acquired _ a freehold property, which he might dis-i for' .iia’sh, dlf utilise'by:leasing as a source of jperraanent income ; or, better than’ all, " ■'settle' upon himself; The whares in which bushmen and sawyers exist under the present state of things,; are’ 'wretchedly ■’ defective' and un'coihfort- ; able ; and if the, State would only offer; proper facilities," the belter class of men would be induced to build a comfortable home in the bushjfiriarry, ahd-settle down.It- is . the- uncertainty of /the 'present tenure, and the feeling engendered in men’s minds that they may be here today and; gone ,^o T mprro)v,/.which; is. the; drawback to a class of settlement which we are sure Would' be profitable to the State and anjeliqrate -the condition of a body of men who for downright hard work, sobriety, and steadiness of. life! will compare ,favorably, .with - any in the colony. ‘ The exceeding fertility of bush lands, the shelter afforded‘by the sur-| rounding forest,, tb.e ipeans of-access pro 4 vided by means of We tramways, are all circumstances which would-enable a bushman to win for himself a hearth and home, and a property for his .children ; and .thh [yafc/ik ’Vojqld assist him ’in ‘ aemplying ' with thh ! Conditions Required ' improvement j ; by 'a deferred payment scheme/ which in his base should be most liberal. The great success which hits'orb whed the efforts^made : to'promote settlement by thp;miners in the goldfields districts, should be an inducement to the State to make some provision for a class no less deserving, and to settle on the ■ land’ chief objects Of every good land law—whose chief capital is the labor of themselves ■ and /Weir; families] anfi, whq"have’ joined bur community in the hope of earning for Weihselves a status in society superior to 'Wat of a mere dependent on weekly;wages for his daily bread.