INVESTMENTS IN TREES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1925, Page 6

INVESTMENTS IN TREES.

When the Director of State Forestry said in his address at the Chamber of Commerce yesterday that it would be a proper thing for the State to assume some sort of control over afforestation companies' activities, for the protection of investors, he repeated a recommendation he had made in his annual report. It would be interesting to kuow whether the Government intends to adopt this recommendation. The question of protecting the investor was raised in the House some weeks ago, and the Minister in charge of the Department said he would deal with it later on, but we have not noticed a statement on the subject. Captain Ellis is enthusiastic about tree-planting, and he naturally rejeices in what he calls the "forest consciousness" of the people of the Dominion, a feeling that he has done much to produce. He knows, however, that it is possible to exploit any enthusiasm in a manner that will lead to disappointment and loss, and he therefore suggests that the Government make regulations for the control of these activities. It is a reasonable suggestion. He does not say what these regulations should be, but we may form some idea of what he would recommend from the sound advice that he gave yesterday to intending investors.