NATURE—AND MAN.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LVI, Issue 5990, 30 April 1935, Page 4

NATURE—AND MAN.

HE® NIMHONIAIJ ViIIE(W. HO!W UOiNfG WjliLL IT ,WAtIiT?: (Edited by Leo. Fanning) ISeveiriaill report is in Neiw press dluriing the past feiw diays' are reminders ithlat tihe Parliament of this country stiM) lackis a reality national view df the Domini Eon's welfare. Mrs Knox Gilimour (a daughter of 'Richard John; Siedldlon;), president off the Welliimgifcoin Hortliicullturaili Sioci'ety, has referred 1 toi reports- off State-sanctioned; rvandlalisro—-the grafting of timbermiling "rilgthitisi"—ltni maijestic forests' flaimMng tlhei Maiilni Rloiad on, thei West iCoiaet of thei /South Island 1 . Siir. Francis l IBeMi ha© .appelated! dim the! Legislative ICoawili for tihe conservation of about' ififity thousand) acres oif native forest between) Taiamiairiuiniuii aradl Taup.o—iain are® whilcihi hia® revertedl tio the Aoteia! (D'iisitritati Mlajonil Land) Board 1 . "Where is tihe money to come fnom to buy this area?" interjected a Minister of the Croiwin.If ilt. is' important for national fare to have that stand! of forest safeguarded! - tihe finding of the l money —which would) ,niot be a startling sum —should l sumty bei a very rnimior comsideiiaititon, /Time has proved over and oVer agaliini that the penality suffered •for blunders ilni stupid! slaughter oif Ifoiriesits has exceeded manifold' the '"money" originally involved in the transfer oif tiltfe—ajnid l the) penality coniitniues. fIIH)Ei WIAIISD O|F WjAOGP-TL onM l airitiilcl'ei in) the "Nbrt'hern Ad-voc-tihe following passage- from an editlOiriali arltii'clei to the "Northern Adoci>ate" of 2&tihj March!:—• those who l were acquainted with Waiijpii Cove amdi Laang's Beach in pre-fbod) days- cam fulllty appreciate the magnitude of tihe upheaval that tiooik place wilt-hiouit warning some: ten d'ays ago. Areas- oif 30 to 50 acre® have slipped l , cariryiing with them ■great puririis and l totaras, which have been Cpapsfeed', tiheir roots standing up ■ouit -o(f tihe debriite. The road lines h'ave disappeared l , and wiith them bridges and) approaches. Traffic has 'been rendered' impossiiblie and comml•Ufnication cut off. A disaster of this miagnitudie recalling the earthquake ravage in other parts, off the Dominion, -callls for national! assistance." [Prolbialbliy miuchJ of that hiavoc is due to loMPtiilmei mistakes' in mianfe destruction oif Nature's soil-protect-ing woiodllaoidls- ilni high country years ago. As Hong as. Parliaments and continue to . work with iout a national) view, whi'ch gives fair heed to the rights- of posterity, there! wil be pathetic appeals for national assistance in' districts devasteidi by flood®'. BUG OTNIGS UAIST. One of the vary serious Mnfes to the d!emo,nicriaitiic scheme oif thitogs-otne 'vote, one valine—ate that matters of vital importance to national welfare —matters that; dio not come within the ordinary scope of fouehsteritog has tings—are put out of sight and out of mind) by many politicians. lif the time, money anidl energy spenit in controversy, for example, during the past tiwo or three years had) been givem to the evolution of a sane conservation policy in regard to forests in. high country—which means' •a polticy for naitilomiaili 'welfare l —holw thankful! thei Dominion's people of today could) have been, and wha>t •votes) oif thanks would come from posterity! Ini this matter Netw ZeaJlland! is one off the most backward countries to the whole wide world. WHERE ARIE THE BilßjDiS ? IMr U. K. Kirk, a member of the Executive df the 'Forest and' Bird Protection Society, had! a holiday recemitliy- (in the region off tihe marvellous Franz Josef .Glacier, which

ibrings> its faciei of crystal, forestframed!, wilthlni a few hundred feelt of sea-level. "Adam and Eve could! mot have tad' at ptace more beautiful/' lie said. "IBultl where aire tlhe bird's that were once so numerous in fchiait enchanting forest near the glacier?" Many touriistst from Great Britain, America andi Australia have 1 asiked that. question ini various districts where they expected l tio see and hear ■many birds. lit fe a remainder that New Zea'lianders moist be more alert I a.nid; miorei active than ever iin the piiioiteic'tiiloini of theifr biirdlg and 1 in enr co.uragimg them to increase. BRIEF UIFIE OIF THE SMAILL BIRID. A contributor to "The [Daily Provinee," Vancouver,, gilves> a soulful note on the life of small biircte: —■ <f !Miich nesting and! young-raising Is ( needed to ikeelp tihie 1 small bir'dls in jtheir usual numbers. The rate o)f mortality ilsi Minted by the number otf ! young bird's hatched eaich year. Ctemenafllly, the larger the bird tihe great!er (its age liilmiiit, as chickadees amid wrens have a niestfuili of chicks, the eagteis bulfc two. The big bird! lis three ;or foun yeairsi i'ni maturing, /white tihe wrenlnig is a mother next season. But there are many except jtions. The ©rouse lays a dozen, or more eggs, the raven four or six, amid' the pigeons two. "The spark of bird, liife burns hotly and quilckliy. Its temperature' is aillways at fever heat. •The spark may fade iin; sudden humger, or flaish miltl in fright. The wings cif death are ever hovering near, yet allways they beat softly ais 'siwilftily. When] these, the brightest ■eyes 'that earth knows, lose their sight, it is uiob m .gentile dlimness, but suddenly, as- -a dream closes. When tihe .feather of death touches them, it does but deepen their sleep, and! in no creatuire does death so ■muich reicemblle sleep, far it leaves ma 'mark but 'StdfeeS'S." A QOiNIVIBReiOINI CXF SIFOIRITISMEjNv 'IMore godlwiltisi, fewer ishtootis'ts" is l the gist of ai refpiont from Nelson [City thfe season. It may be fairly ■assumed tihait gunmen's hearts have •been touched! at last by the pleas foiri the gi'dlwitis, which are nioti really game-bird's. A® they assemble to flocks l for their migration to Siberia they can be easi!l[yi butchered. The news- from Nelson must be particularly pleasing tio the Forest and Bird Protection Society which has been ( trying for years to save giidlwilts from 'persecution. ■ "Some coves," said the driver of I the service car; to a venerable passenger, "learn® ter smoke a pipe easy as 'kiss-me'and 1 . ITakei tio it as niacherail' as a young duck takes to water. , I didn't, Not mei! The 1 pijpe fiadiir trun ed me up< repeated!! Bo 1 thought. I'd' try another bacca, and changed over to toasted Cavendish. Andi believe me or beletve me not ,1 never r ad no more trouble wiif me pipe! There iainit 'ardily any niikoteen in 'toasted,' you kin smoke it till all'is blue anid alt can't 'urt yer! And itiaSlk abart a flawour! —iand or, boy! don r fc iti smell good 1! Toasted! !Nlavy Out No:. 3 ((Bulldog) , is another fine meejum blenidl! Toasted Cut Pfcg No.. 10 (IBullis'eadl) is full strength. That's another winner! Likewise ilf you roil your own there's Hiver'eadl Gold anid Desert Gold. Both makes the finest cigarettes out! '(Eire! Wlbatcher llarfin ait? Wtat's the joke?" "I was laiugbing," repllied the veneraible passenger, "because il was smakiinig 'toasted)' before you were horn." The driver grunted and' lit hiis pipe, J-—474.