The Southland Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1872.

Southland Times, Issue 1658, 5 November 1872, Page 2

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1872.

The increasing dimensions of tbe timber trade of Southland have lately been such as to encourage the hope that ere long the forests of this district, hitherto comparatively unproductive, may come to be regarded as one of the most important of the natural sources of wealth which we possess. It is manifestly the duty of the Government to encourage by every means in their power the enterprise which has been shown by those who have opened up this trade, and bj whose exertions acres of our bush ]and are now dailjbeing converted into tangible and exchangeable wealth, which, while it is to be hoped it benefits in the first instance i those who are engaged in its production, iis undoubtedly the cause of indirect benefit, in greater or less degree, to every member of the community. All who belong to the producing classes, and in a new country there are few who do not, derive advantage from every undertaking which has for its object the conversion of the raw material in which our waste lands abound into money. "Whether it be gold, wool, meat, flax, grain, or sawn timber which is produced, the portion of the price which is retained by the producer himself is comparatively email, and by far the largest share is distributed, in the shape of wages and otherwise, amongst all who contribute, directly and more remotely, to the business of production. For this reason it is important in new countries that every facility should be given for the development of those treasures which are to be found in the Boil or on its surface, but which require the skill and labor of man to make them available for human use. One cannot, it is true, make a people Tich by Act of Parliament, any more thau it is possible to make them moral. But, given the natural resources, it is quite possible by wise legislation so to encourage the utilisation of the public estate as greatiy to conduce to the prosperity of the country, while at the same time it is equally easy, by stupidity, indifference, or class prejudices in legislation, to retard progress or even prevent it altogether. This is particularly noticeable in the case of such md ustries as depend for their existence on the occupation of considerable areas of land. The terms on which the use of the public estate should be granted to individuals, have been the subject of many discussions, and it would be impossible to lay down any general rules, which, even in a matter so special as that of timber licenses, would meet every case fairly, and at the same time protect the interests of the public. The Land Board is understood to have this subject specially under consideraion at present; and it will doubtless come to the conclusion, that however carefully the new Kegu lationa may be framed, a certain amount of discretionary power must still be left in the handa of the Board. It may be safely affirmed, however, that the less of this the better. Impartiality and fairness probably characterize the decisions of a non-political body, like the Southland Land Board, as a rule, and to a greater extent than the parties to whom its decisions may have been adverse may be willing to suppose ; * but in all such matters it is better to have a simple and intelligible rule, applicable, aa far an possible, to all cases alike. For this reason we trust that the present system of assessing the sawmiller's license by a tax on the horse-power of his engine, and the granting of an area of bush reserve in proportion to that rate, will be abolished in favor of the simple and more uniform plan of an acreage rate. For, strange as it may seem, the horse-power of any given engine is not found to be a fixed but a variable quantity, when it becomes of importance to the owner to estimate it either one way or another. There are, of course, methods known to engineers by which the amount might bo determined ; but any one of these, applied to a number of engines of different constructions, would fail to give a fair representation of the comparative amount of actual work which each could do, which: of course is the point to be decided. By the present plan the entire area of the timber land in most districts is reserved from sale, so that a freehold, site for a sawmill cannot be secured except on the edge of the bush. As there is always a certain reluctance to erect valuable machinery on leasehold land, and now that tbe timber near the outside of some , of the larger forests is getting scarce, it

I might be advisable to allow a pre-emptive right, say oP 50 acres, for each sawmill erected within the larger timber reserves. The price per acre to be charged for the right to the timber, and the time allowed for its removal, are matters of detail regarding which the special experience of the members of the Land Board should enable them to arrive at a conclusion which will be fair alike for the sawmillera and the public. The price and cdriditions should be framed as much aa possible to discourage speculation in titob'e^,., jighta for mere re sale, while at the same time moderate and easy for the bona fide sawmiller. It may be questioned whether, with a view to this object, it might not be well to make a condition that no timber license should be issued in a complete form, unless suitable machinery were firßt erected in the locality. And inasmuch as the value of, timber land depends more than on -. anything else on the means of access to it, it seems i to be a reasonable conclusion that the Provincial Government would do well to devote the revenue derived from the timber land to the construction of light railways or tramways, of an inexpensive kind, for the special purpose of opening up some of our larger timber reserves. It is understood that the construction of : such a line, in the Seaward has been- bruogfii ' under tbo notice of the Executive, and the idea ought certainly not to be lost sight of. Such a work ought of course to be of the most inexpensive character, and «ould be pushed on by two or three miles at a time, according to the c requirements of the traffic. A very little assiafcance of this sort would do much for the development of our timber trade, which has now made such a promising beginning, and there seems no reason to conclude that the expenditure, if managed with care and economy, might not be made reproductive.