NATURE— AND MAN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 460, 18 February 1933, Page 4

NATURE— AND MAN

Leo j

Farming)

savinq wild life POWER OF PROTECTION is IN HAiN'DS OF PUBLIC PRESSURE ON PARLIAMENT

' (Edited by

an American writer, in a recenf clarion call" to a conference on wilH life, rexxxarked: — . *'Are you really interested in wild life the kind in the country, not thp night clubs ? Sounds silly, but it isn't as silly as it sounds; for coixxnaratively a xxxere handful of axxen and women are trying to carry the burden of restoi*ing all desirabb species of wild life to a reasonabb :abundance." - • Similarly the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society found itself | rather lonely in the past, but it has now u strength which commands spect in high places. Apart from its widespread membership, it has poxver axnong Ithe people of various dis. tricts who ax'e recogni'sing that the society is not working for itself but for the national welfare. ;AU Can Help Th'at ternx, "dear reader," used bv many writers in Victoria.n times, may be old-fa,'shioned now, but I feel tempted to giv? it another airing, beeause nxany messages of encouragement continue to come from readers of "Nature— and Man." Well, here is an attempt at a suitable reply;-. "Dear reader's, you are the general public, stronger than Parliament mightier than Ministers of the Croxvn! A Government may make changes which you may like or dislike, but you have the power to change niinistries. There is. an old saying; 'Great is truth, and it shall prevail,' Another adage, equally true, is* 'Great 4s public opinion-^aud it must win.' A strong public opinion on behalf of native birds and the conservation and extension of forests must compel any Goverxxnxent to take the right course of action for the national welfare. Dear readers, ijhke every opportunity to help friends and relatives to reach- a proper understanding of the vital importance of commonsense preservation of national assets. The mere feeling that you are a New Zealander helping New Zealand, will be a very plea'sing teward,"

InSplring Leadership Even without big leadership, an enlightened enthusiastic public can make history, but, of course, it is all the better to have a leader eager for the national good. That is why many people in the United States of America ax*e glad that Mr. Roosevelt has been elected president, for he is in the front of the xxxovement for conservation of national rosources.

■ Let us use comxxxonsense and business sense," he said reeently, "and I just as one exaixiple we know that a very hopeful and immediate means of release, both for the unemployed and for agriculture, will coixxe froxxx a wide plan for the converting of many millions of acres of nxarginal land into timber land through reforestation. "There are tens of xnillions of acres east of the Mississippi River alone in abandoned farxxxs, and' cut over land, now growing up in worthless brush. Why, every European nation has a definite land policy andi has had one for generations. We have not. "Having none, we faee a future of soil erosion and timher fanxine. It is clear that economic foresight and immediate employnxenit xx/arch hand in hand in the call for the reforestation of these vast areas." Urgent Need for Action In New Zealand, as in America and other countries, there is an urgent need of action agtainst erosion of land, the source of life for humanity. An indication of the need of a vigorous pa-ogressive policy from President Roosevelt is seen in a leading article in a recent issue of "Axxxerican Forests." "Nearly forty years have passed since Senator Newlands fii*st ux*ged the creation of a national plan for the conservation of watex*, and other re•soui'ces," the editorial ran. "To-day with more than ten millions of xxxen out of work, with millions - of idle acres spewing silt and debris into our streaxxxs and reservoirs, with increasing recognition of the necessity of ample water supplies for the nation, and with knowledge adequate for protection and development of oul' water re'sources we continue to do little or nothing. Our wastes have been magnificent, but it is not too late, xiow when the xxation is aroused to

the responsibxlxty of offering men a livelihood is perhaps the logical time to get underway." That comment applies in full to New Zealand, which' can show some disastrous wa'stes, as previous articles have proved. Sentinels of the Wild "As is well known, nearly every group of wild creatures has a military organisation for defence pui*poses; ones feature of this system is the posting* of 'Sentinels," writes Archibald Rutledge. "In this precaution the conxmon crow is systematic and exacting. When the flock is feeding, there will he one 01* more watc-h-men posted on elevations suitable for observation. "One day a big flock of these dusky marauders visited my field of young corn. A black sentry wa's perched on the top of a dead pine on an adjaeent ditch hank. By getting down in the ditch, I evaded the guard and was able to fire into the flock, dishevelling several and routing the whole thieving company. Their dismay was naturally great; hut even in the pitch of their hasty retreat th'ey did not forget a p'rimary duty. At least a dozen crows, with loud eawiiigs of disgust and cbamorond blame, attacked the sentry, beat him unmereifully, even while all of them were in precipitate flight, and drove him in disgrace, not only far over the fore'st, but, I believe, completely out of their fellowship. His vital duty had been to give warning of the approach' of an enemy. Technically, he had been asleep at his post, and as a result nxet immediate punishment and probably lasting disfavour."