FORESTRY SCHOOL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 728, 30 July 1929, Page 8

FORESTRY SCHOOL

AUCKLAND URGED AS SITE ADVANTAGES STRESSED One forestry school to serve th** whole Dominion is a proposal present in the air. Urging that Auckland's claim to be the centre for forestry Kraining, a special meeting of the executive of the Auckland Sawmillers' Association was held yesterday to discuss the question. It is proposed that one of the two forestry schools at present training students should be disbanded in far. our of the new idea of one institution! At the conclusion of the meeting Mr. W. McArthur said the attitude’ that one school was sufficient for the needs of the Dominion was borne out by the recommendation of the ln». perial Forestry Conference. An advantage was that, where there wera now two Government grants, with one school the money could be een. tralised and greater efficiency ob. tained in its expenditure. “I think it will be acknowledged that the school must be situated where there is a university, other, wise heavy cost would be involved in the erection of new buildings and the provision of equipment. In ad. dition. such a scheme would be itn. practicable, as forestry students hava to attend lectures in other departments,” said Mr. McArthur. “The school of forestry should b$ situated where students can obtain practical knowledge. Practically onethird of the course comprises prao tical work, and this consists of examining operations connected with new forests, the working of indigen. ous forests and the erations of logging, milling, rpmanu. facturing, seasoning, and so on. { do not think that there is any part of New Zealand as suited as is tha Auckland district for students to obtain a better knowledge of all as. pects of forestry work.” Mr. McArthur also referred to tha Auckland Forestry School’s camp at Swanson, the erection of which was made possible by local sawmillers. The whole area had been carefully explored and tabulated, and it was said that there were on the property about 4,000 species of trees of good timber. Close to the school’s 'pro. perty was the great kauri forest owned by the City, and students often made excursions to this in their search for information. Other speakers supported Mr. Mo Arthur, pointing out that more timber was used in Auckland City and Pro. vince than in any other part of New Zealand, and urging that the school should be established where the greatest amount of timber was coiv sumed. Also the Auckland climate was conducive to the rapid growth of timber.