FOREST RESERVATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 90, 23 April 1913, Page 7

FOREST RESERVATION.

SUGGESTIONS BY MR ELL. Christchurch, April 21. I Last month Mr H. G. Ell, ALP. I for Christchurch South, communi- ! rated with the Prime Minister, urging that v.hon hush land was opened for settlement, there should he reserved i at least a few acres for the purpose of i preserving the natural forest of the country growing thereon, say twenty or twenty-live acres. Mr Ell pointed out that during the past few months, a number of sale plans of land, including a very large area of forestcovered country, had been issued, but the plans did''not‘show any area set aside as reserves for the purpose of preserving tire forest. He was aware that to the settler the forest was regarded as a difficulty in his way, which had to bo removed, and that therefore in the initial stages of settlement, those reserves were not viewed with favor, but there would come a time when those very settlers would be as keenly anxious to preserve any' small area, which might have escaped burning as they wore to destroy it. In many parts of New Zealand formerly covered with bush, the settlers had approached the Government and asked them to preserve some area of bush, which had escaped destruction. That had hap-, pened in several places, both in the Wellington and Hawke’s Bay districts. Mr Massey, in reply, said that he | had read with interest Mr Ell’s suggestion in the matter of conserving in various localities suitable areas of forest. The matter had been giving him a good deal of thought lately, and it was one of the reasons among others, which prompted the Government to set up the Forestry Commission, which was now visiting the difforosts. The matter had been giving question of forest’reservation was one upon which the Commission had been asked specially to make investigations, and when the report of the Commission was received, any recommendation which was made on the matter would have careful consideration of the Government. He had forwarded Mr Ell’s letter to the Chairman of the Commission. The Chairman of the Forestry Commission has written to Mr Ell stating that the members of the Commission had read his memo on this important question with very deep j interest, and those views would be further considered when the members of the Commission were deliberating over their report.