OUR DISAPPEARING FORESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 165, 12 July 1907, Page 4

OUR DISAPPEARING FORESTS.

The report on the colony's timber industry now published brings out with unmistakable clearness the unpleasant fact that the most valuable part of our native forests will soon have disappeared. This of itself, of course, means a serious industrial and pecuniary loss to the colony; and the figures in the report dealing with the kauri industry snould have for Auckland a special and somewhat ominous significance. However,, it must always be remembered that the clearing away of the bush means the opening of'the country and the advance of settlement; and it is futile to regret the change which supersedes the sawmill by the creamery, and as time passes, by even more convincing proofs of the onward march of civilisation.

There is, however, something to be said on the subject, that, in our opinion, needs constant and emphatic realisation. The importance of our forests to the colony does not consist solely or even chiefly in their material or monetary value. As they are cut down, not only is the atmosphere rendered less humid and the climate more subject to extremes of heat and cold, but the soil once bound to the underlying rocks by roots and brushwood is washed away from the bare hill sides. Many of the streams dry up, and those that survive, as the moss and vegetable matter i= cleared from their beds, become deep watercourses, which bring dangerous and destructive floods upon the low-lying land. These disastrous consequences have already followed dose upon the disappearance of timber in many parts of New Zealand; and it is remarkable that in so progressive a country -where the State has undertaken so many public dutiee so little has been done to protect us from the evil effects of the ruthless devastation of our primitive busE.

It is in the Old World, however, that we find the most alarming proofs of the injury that may be inflicted upon a country by the reckless waste of its forest resources. ■ Asia Minor, once the garden of the world., is now largely a barren wilderness chiefly because its forests have been cut down. Northern Italy, Switzerland, and Southern France exhibit over large areas the same disastrous consequences of the destruction of their timber, and it is only by an enormous expenditure that the decay of the natural resources of a country thus affected can be checked. The cure, of course, is to plant trees in place of those cut down; and the elaborate systems of afforesting carried out in many European countries to-day should be at once a lesson and a warning to New Zealand. What Russia and Germany, Italy and France feel compelled to do to protect their rural population, an 3to keep up the supply of timber trees, we will certainly be constrained to do, though on a smaller scale and under far more favourable conditions. We are aware that Government has established plantations and that some effort at afforesting has already been made. But unless we are to suffer irreparable injury in climate, natural resources, and industrial prospects, it will be speedily necessary to set on foot a regular system of replanting, so that our timber supply may be renewed and the country may be spared lie losses that will qthewise inevitably be inflicted upon her through the passing of the native bush.

The colony's timber supplies are rapidly diminishing, both in quality and quantity, according to the annual report on the timber industry, -which -was presented to Parliament yesterday. In 1905 it was estimated that there were 40,000,000,00 superficial feet of milling timber in the various districts, and this has now fallen to about 36,000.000,000 ft, though the annual output has risen from 413,259,742 ft to 432,031,611 ft. On Crown lands there are approximately 18,666 300 - OSlft, and 17,119,573,386 ft on private and native lands. With regard to the Auckland district, the supply of milling timber in 1904 -was estimated at 7,465,053,----000 ft, comprising 1412,019,000 ft of kauri The present estimate is only 6,573335----855 it, with, 646,041,049 ft of kauri.

The New Zealand , defence forces are classified in a, new schedule of precedence which has been, issued by tie Department, and rank as follows:—(a) Permanent staff; (b) Coast Defence Force-—Royal New Zealand Artillery. Royal N.Z. Engineers, Volunteer Garrison Artillery, Volunteer Submarine Miners; (c) Active Field Force—Field artillery, engineers (field), mounted rifles, infantry (including cyclists and signalling corps), army service corps, medical corps, field hospital and bearer corps, veterinary corps; (&) Reserves —Reserve corps, defence cadets, defence rifle clubs. Mounted units, when mounted, will take precedence and rank in order, viz.: Mounted rifles, field artillery for' manoeuvring, or when considered necessary units will be distributed and drawn up in the manner ordered by the officer commanding the district, irrespective of precedence; militia when embodied to rank after permanent forces. Bands will be distributed as ordered by the senior officer on parade, but will rank as (a) garrison bands and (b) battalion bands.

At the annual meeting of the Auckland branch of the International Arbitration and Peace Association, held last week, the following list of awaTds in connection with the essay competition recently held was read:—Grade 1 (under 13): First prize, Freda Jones, Woodhill; second prize, Evangeline Hames, Paparoa; honourable mention. Arch, Burns, Waiokaraka. Grade 2 (13 to 16): First Prize, Hilda M. Grigg, Ngunguru; second prize, Alma Corkran, Waiokaxaka; honourable mention, Ve're Woodhouse, Parnell, Sidney G. Clement, Collingwood-street.

A special meeting of the Thames Borough Council was held last evening to consider tenders for the supply of sawn timber, and for the building of a breastwork on the seaside of Tararu in place of that recently destroyed by gale. The tender of C. Short for the timber ■was accepted, at 19/3 per 100 ft. of firstclass Ixeart of kauri, and that of W. Jennings for the breastwork, at £50.

At Ms auction rooms, fjueen-street, today, Mr J. Thornes sold a freehold property in Franklin-road, -with house of sis rooms thereon, for £680. A house of four rooms in Myra-street, with allotment 30 feet by 99 feef, was sold at £245.

A sitting , of-the Supreme Court in bankruptcy: was held this morning before the registrar (Mr R. Goring Thomas), when an order was made adjudicating Robert Gibb, late of Jfeavesville, but now of Auckland, hotelkeeper, a bankrupt, upon the petition of Grey and Menzdes, Ltd. Mr Singer appeared for the petitioning creditor, and Mr -J. R. 'Reed on behalf of the debtor to oppose.

At Marton Police Court yesterday, Samuel John Gibbons, licensee of the White Hart Hotel, was committed for tiial on a charge of having, on June 9, attempted to pervert the course oi justice by counselling and inciting Norman May Atkinson to make certain false statements to the police as to the purchase of liquor after legal hours. Mr. Cohen, for accused, contended that there was no case to answer, as accused by acting as he had done before the police had commenced proceedings had committed no breach of the law. The magistrate, however, committed Gibbons to take his trial at the Supreme Court, Wanganui, bail being allowed in two sureties of £250 each.'

A young man named John Pearson had a marvellous escape from death at Marton yesterday. He wa s working on a bridge'c'rbss'ing''a?stream, and accidentally -set some—machinery in motion. His clothes were caught and torn from his body. Pearson hung on to one of the stringers with one iand, and it was fortunate that his clothes were wrenched from his body, otherwise he would have been whirled round the shaft and dashed against the stringers on both sides. As it -was, he was drawn between the decking and the stringer, about 12in in width. His arm was broken, and he fell into the stream, a depth of 18ft. below, and landed on his feet. He managed to get back to the factory and report the accident. In addition to a fractured arm, "his body -was badly bruised.

In his judgment in the case of W. H. Young v. the Christehurch City Council, Mr. Justice Chapman held that it was the right and duty of .the Council to dispose of the offal from the municipal abattoirs, in the public interest, by means of a long-dated contract, and that the individual butchers could not compel the Council to deliver to them the offal from their sheep and cattle slaughtered at the abattoirs.

Commencing on Thursday, 11th July, 1907, and on each succeeding Thursday until further notice, a goods train, with second class accommodation for passengers, will leave Putaruru at 6.40 ajn., Matamata at 8.0, Morrinsville 10:6, Hamilton 11.15, arriving Frankton at 11.20 a jm. Eeturn train will leave Frankton at 2.10 p.m., Hamilton 2.20, Morrinsville 3.40, Matamata 5.0, arriving Putaruru at 6.35 p.m. same day. These trains will 'stop where required 1 to pick Tip or set down passengers.

The Board constituted under the Teachers' Superannuation Act has presented its first report for a period of 15 months. The report states that there appears to be no means of enforcing compliance with the provision of the Act that every male contributor, on attaining the age of 60, shall retire from the service. There are 11 men and two "women who have attained the statutory age of retirement still remaining in the service. The number of teachers -who have entered as original members is 2720, 127 have left the service since the pasing of the Act, and 219 persons have become contributors by option or compulsion. The credit of the fund stands at £34,733, and of this sum £28,000 has been invested at 4* per cent and 5 per cent on mortgage.

The Orangemen of Auckland will celebrate the 217 th anniversary of the battle of the Boyne by holding a social this evening iD St. George's Hall, Karanga-hape-road. The procession took place on Sunday, when a thanksgiving service was held, at St. James' Presbyterian Church.

We regret- that in our report of a recent case heard at the Whangarei Magistrate's Court, we erroneously stated tha-t William Baylis ha.d been charged with using obscene language. The person so charged was Philip Bailess, and not William Baylis.

The Collector of Customs, Auckland, has received a telegram from the Secretary for Marine, stating that his Excellency the Governor has declared it unlawful to take oysters after the 11th July (yesterday) from the islands of Motutapu and Eakino and adjacent rocks.

"W-hile shoeing a heavy draught horse on Monday afternoon, Mr. Geo. Spinley, of Te Awamutu, had the misfortune to break his leg. The animal became restive, and, rearing up, knocked Mr. Spinley down. Before he could rise the horse's front feet descended on one of his legs, fracturing the bone*

Mr. A. Rosser sent the following teiiv. gram to the Hon. W. HaU-Jones yestf" : duy:-"On the eve of your depS accept sincere wishes for a pleasant tS and a speedy restoration .to healtvThe Minister sent the following S "Please accept my sincere thank/ 'Z your ki ndl pathy and good w . s^ which I much appreciate. Am ful that the se£ voyage and rest w:ll restore mc to strength." » and

A collision occurred at Te Awamni--°bv s et r en a iight wxs by Mr. M. S. Laurie and a three-hd™! trap dnven by Mr. D. Meredith' >5 result of .the collision was that t? Laurie -was thrown out and bruised ''*£" has buggy damaged considerably,' W ;, otherwise no injury was done. , Thin pale, bloodless women - Steajns' Wine to make new restore strength. Does as nmch'soodS. ' codliver oU and iron and tastes utTii finest old port.—Advt. . *f

L. Sarney's, Newton, Sale comment to-morrow.—(Ad.) - :J?--J?* Open all day to-morrow (iSaturdttl Raincoats, this season's goods" „;{' they go, 15/11; 32/6 now 19/1 LWM lot of caracnl and seal doth "basS • jackets. See them, 19/11, 29/ ii up, at McCullagh and Gowert sale.-^ Tour bag is here. Before ■ yoi: "tak ; that trip just have a look at out &Z plete selection of leather goods. ..(3^

Shop all day Saturday; premises aaiii ■ till 9 at night. Qe sale at and Bndgman's, just Above th6Gr« Statue.—Ad.) v %"v ■ •l .

New colonial flannel pants {white) im pair, half-price; all underwear at" g&. price. Rushbrook and Bridgman • ■nftfc above the Grey Statue.—(Ad.)' ■ ■•■.-. — Open all day to-morrow- (Satnrd»Tr Bargains in dress goods, 6 yards 4dkhV width, 2/11, 3/11, 4/11, 5/11, For 8/11, fancy coloured hopsack : jfi ■wool, in reseda, laurel, heaver, mole'W originally 2/6 yard, at the..great' 'clSo sweep- sale. MeCullagh- and' Govrer.-^i Our grand stock of- furs ■ hestyfly' '%. duced for the sale; premises.oraii itu 9 Saturday night. Rushbrook and'Brideman.—(Ad.) ~--; ; •."'.. ■ Milne and Choyce's .gale '"ofen till 9 o'clock this evening.-4{A£);v:sV^ Open all day Saturday. Trnttmed-Jiate, toques, a superior lot. Out tHefsd'-am 4/11, 5/11, 6/11, 7/11 up. clean sweep prices, 1/, 1/6, l/li,W6, i/ll up, at McGullagh. and Gowtfs% great sale.—(Ad.) " - -> ; £ Boys' reefers, boys, youths; animeii's •overcoats specially reduced for' ify* great reduction eale now on at"Rushbrook : «i'd Bridgman's Queen-streets—(ld:)?-- •:• OFlporcloths, hearthrugs, cafpetsj db£i* slip's, all at colossal sale price; at John Court's, Ltd.. (two'shops), Queen-strat; Lower shop open Saturdays till 9 p.avi (Ad.). ' , , ~V Curtains and.a large lot of sampler and oddments marked at' clean sweep prices, 1/B,' 1/11, 2/6, 2/11,; 3/11, 4/11 up, at the famous dean sweep.—McCullagh and Gower.— (Ad.) ■ '. : , Mflne and Choyce's sale ■ remains open till 9 o'clock' this^evening.—(Ad;)' /^ Open all day vto-morrow. 'Kidgloyes, iabrics, gloves, and. our noted make' in hosiery. All'Teduced t<) "out: they go" prices at the famous clean sweeji. MoCullagh and Gower.—(Ad.)' '•,-.' ..-..,.. We are- pleased to .talk clothes '■with you any time, thougii 54 ditt reaay-to--weir , suits speak fbr themselves. G«k Fowlds.—(Ad.) ■¥ :-..' ;.•,■■;

Milne and ■- Choyce's sale' '.-■flpai till 9 o'clock this evening.—(Ad;)" - .-v

Great reduction sale now on; pfeffliatr open till 9 Saturday night. Eushbrobk and Bridgman, just- above the' Grey Statue.—(Ad.) ; . '

Laces, ribbons, gloves, hosiery, «tc*>V at very exceptional" low prices. John Court, Ltd. (two shops), Queen-street. —(Ad.) •■•'•'.. « -■

To athletes and gymnasts. What more comfortable f> article "of -wear than a sweater. - See our selection. Geo. F^>wids.—(Ad.). ■■".. ....... :.,.;;...