C.—3

24

Imports. (From information supplied by the Comptroller of Customs, All figures refer to the years ended 31st December. 1921, 1922, 1923.)

ANNEXURE VI.-SOME NOTES ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE FORESTRY CONFERENCE HELD IN CANADA DURING THE YEAR 1923. Now Zealand was represented at this Confluence, by the Director of Forestry. A set of resolutions were passed by the Conference. It is with some degree of satisfaction that the Service is able to report that Resolutions (a), (b), and (c) of No. 1 had already been put into action by Now Zealand several years ago. Resolution No. 2, dealing with softwood resources, already forms part of the New Zealand forest policy. Resolution No. 3, Empire Trade in Forest Products, is one which has formed the basis of action for this country for many years. Resolution No. 4—Education (Central Institution) : Now Zealand in principle agreed to this at the 1920 Conference. Resolution No. s—British.5 —British. Empire Forestry Association : This is a desirable form of co-operative action. Resolution No. 6 —Standing Committee on Empire Forestry : This resolution will assist in co-ordinating forestry work throughout the Empire. Resolutions Nos. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are not of great interest to New Zealand, except in so far as this Service may co-operate in regard to No. 7. Resolution No. 11—Next Conference : This resolution is of direct interest to New Zealand, and it is to be sincerely hoped that this Dominion will co-operate with the Australian Commonwealth in making the 1928 Conference a success. The Resolutions. 1. Forest Policy- -Believing them to bo well founded, this Conference reaffirms Resolutions 1, 2, and 3 of the 1920 Conference, which emphasize the great importance of each part of the Empire laying down a definite forest policy, surveying its resources of timber, and ensuring that certain elements of stability are secured in the constitution of forest policy. These resolutions are as follows :— " (a.) Forest Policy. —In view of the great importance to the Empire as a whole, as well as to each of its component parts, of producing a sustained yield of all classes of timber, and of encouraging the most economical utilization of timber and other forest products, and of maintaining and improving climatic conditions in the interests of agriculture and water-supply, each of the Governments of the Empire should lay down a definite forest policy to be administered by a properly constituted and adequate Forest Service. " (b.) Survey of Resources. —The foundation of a stable forest policy for the Empire and for its component parts must be the collection, co-ordination, and dissemination of facts as to the existing state of the forests and the current and prospective demands on them. " (c.y Constitution and Status. —In order to attain continuity in the development of forest resources it is desirable that certain elements of stability be secured in the constitution of the forest policy. This may be done by the following measures : — " (1.) The definition, where this has not been done already, of forest policy, in a forestry Act or Ordinance. " (2.) The reservation for the purpose of economic management and development of forest land under conditions which prevent the alienation of any which is primarily suitable for forests except for reasons consistent with the maintenance of the forest policy as a whole.

1921. 1922. 1923. Item. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value, Iron bark Jarrah Douglas fir Other Sup. Ft. 12,195,746 7,371,631 12,431,779 13,870,438 £ 248,270 132,900 120,635 285,290 Sup. Ft. 13,601,957 4,764,603 3,974,811 9,000,270 £ 228,943 75,605 33,190 155,494 Sup. Ft. 12,800,905 8,973,586 8,081,088 10,457,784 £ 194,478 127.804 77,473 211,478 Total 45,869,591 787,101 31,341,641 493,232 40,319,363 611,233 Laths, rails, palings, &c. . . Number. 7,400,317 £ 18,211 Number. 6,563,749 £ 14,542 Number. 13,709,189 £ 27,329 Tanning-bark Wood-pulp Tons. 2,556 350 £ 38,632 13,377 'Pons. 1,623 732 £ 21,860 10,840 Tons. 3,433 855 £ 38,517 12,784