TREES OR COWS?

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 460, 15 September 1928, Page 1

TREES OR COWS?

AFFORESTATION OPPOSED IN MATAMATA LOSS OF REVENUE FEARED (From Our Own Correspondent) PUTARURU, Friday. With the fear of certain farmlands being used for tree-planting purposes with a consequent loss of rates, the Matamata County Council has been endeavouring for some time to secure a Government inquiry. So far little headway has been made, and in a communication received aC to-day’s meeting the Commissioner of State Forests said that these lands; were freehold, or on the point of made freehold, and there was no way of preventing an owner from disposing of such land to anyone eligible to purchase. Section 386 of the Land Act, 1924, enabled any afforestation, company to acquire lands notwithstanding restrictions as to maximum area, provided the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Commissioner and the Minister of Lands, consented. Such consents were onlygiven after the fullest investigation. “I understand that generally speaking, the areas in question are more suitable for afforestation than for farming purposes,” the commissioner concluded. “Where does he get his information from?” asked Councillor Cox. “It is not correct.” On the motion of Councillors Judd and Allen it was decided to reply that the Minister himself admitted in his letter that the council’s intention was correct, so far as some of the land was concerned, and the council would like to know’ what he intended to do about it. The Prime Minister wrote that section 28 of the Finance Act (1927) gave local authorities power to make a levy on all timber converted from the log into sawn timber, and though this did not help while timber was growing, it w’ould when plantations were proceeding. The Clerk: With all due deference to the Prime Minister the section does not apply. The section applies to native trees and not to those planted, by afforestation companies. The engineer explained that the council invested its money in roads in the hope of increased valuations paying for them, but values did not increase with tree-planting operations. On the motion of Councillors K. S. Cox and W. H. Allen it was decided t*» draw the attention of the Prime Minister to this error.