AFFORESTATION

Southland Times, Issue 21090, 23 May 1930, Page 8

AFFORESTATION

PEBBLY HILLS SCHEME MINISTERIAL REPLY TO PROTEST EMPLOYMENT OF LOCAL MEN Yesterday, (he Mayor of Invercargill (Mr J. I). Campbell), received the following telegram from the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle in reply to representations made after this week’s meeting of the City Council that the State Forest Service should complete the afforestation project at Pebbly Hills during the coming tree-planting season and that Southland men should be given preference in employment on the work:— . “Referring to your telegram yesterday regarding afforestation at Pebby Hills, I have this morning conferred .with my colleague, the Hon. W. B. Taverner (Conservator of State I’orests), who informs me that in accordance with the statement which he released for ’publication in the Dunedin Evening Star on Monday last, proposals are well in hand for planting on the area is question of as great a proportion of the 6000 acres as circumstances will permit. 1 am assured that every effort will be made to push on with the work and in connection with your reference the engagement of men, lam informed that every consideration will bs given to the claims of men in Invercargill and district when labour is being employed.” The statement released by Mr Taverner referred to in the telegram is as follows:— About three weeks ago the Hon. W. B. Taverner. (Minister of Railways and Commissioner of State Forests) was waited upon in Dunedin by a deputation representing unemployed in Dunedin City. On that occasion the Minister stated that he hoped shortly to have a commencement, made with a large tree-planting project in the south which would assist in giving employment.

Asked, prior to his departure for Wellington, what progress had been made with the project, Mr Taverner said that he bad obtained the approval of Cabinet to the necessarj- expenditure for undertaking tree planting on an area of up to about 6000 acres in the Pebbly Hills district, and since the deputation referred to met him a small gang had been engaged on carrying out the necessary surveying and other general preparatory work. This work was now well in hand, and all was in readiness to engage a large gang of men on planting as soon as the season commenced. Owing to climatic conditions, this could not be for a few weeks yet. It had originally been intended to treat only 1000 acres of the area this year, but a proposal is now under consideration to plant the whole 6000 acres. The Minister said that he would personally like to see work started on the whole area this season in order that as many men as? possible might be engaged, but whether or not this would prove practicable would depend upon financial and other factors which were now being examined.

Mr Taverner continued that he was also in communication with the Dunedin City Council with the object of the State Forests Service undertaking, in co-operation with the Dunedin City Council, a scheme in the vicinity of the city which would be a great advantage to'married men and unemployed with dependants who in manycases find it difficult to leave their homes.

“In accordance with my promise to the deputation,” concluded the Minister, “I represented to my colleague, the Minister of Public Works, the urgent need of providing more works near Dunedin, and I am pleased to say that he has been able to arrange further work, details of which were published on Saturday last. The Government has also been glad to assist by way of a subsidy on Poppy Day funds towards providing work for returned soldiers.”