IMPERIAL FORESTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 190, 13 August 1928, Page 10

IMPERIAL FORESTRY.

EMPIRE CONFERENCE IN

AUSTRALIA.

DELEGATES BY NIAGARA.

NEW ZEALAND VISIT PROJECTED,

Passing through by the Niagara to-day are -everal heads of the Forestry Service of Canada. They are bound for the Britii-h Empire Forestry Conference, which assembles in Australia this month. At the head of the delegation is Mr. E. If. Finlayson, Director of Forestry in tho Dominion. He is a. vice-president of tlio conference. Mr. E. Roy Cameron, Associate-Director, Dr. J. M. Swayne, head of tho Federal entomological branch, Mr. E. .T. Zabwitz, Deputy-Min-Uter of Forestry for the Province of 'int.-irio, and Mr. P. Z. Caverhill, Chief I'ore-ter of British Columbia, are also members of the party. Another delegate is Lieut.-General Sir William Furze, Director of the Imperial Institute, which keeps closely in touch with Empire forestry problems.

Tint last conference was held in Canada in 192:} under the presidency of Lord Lovat, on that occasion head of the British delegation. This year Lord Clinton will be the principal British representative. It is anticipated that not only the Dominions and colonies will bo represented at the gathering in Australia but also the Crown colonies, as was the case five years ago.

Tho object of these quinquennial gatherings is twofold. Firstly, the meetings are intended to assist the countries in which they are held by bringing about an exchange of the knowledge of the best brains engaged in this important subject. Secondly, it has been demonstrated that such conferences stimulate public interest in tho problems of forestry, and so increase the susceptibility of Governments lo listen to tlie representations of their ollieials that more luouev should be made available Jot' tlio actual prosecution of the services in their own countries. It has been gradually brought home to most of the Empire Governments of rccent years that wo are within measurable distance of a world's timber shortage and that such ;i state of affairs portends a real national calamity. It is just hero that the British Empire Conference is doing possibly its most valuable work.

The procedure of the present conference will bo to lirst of all visit the natural forests and the plantations of Australia, commencing with tho hardwood districts of the far west. After extensive observations in the field five days will bo devoted to meetings at Canberra.

Later most of the delegates—probably as many as- thirty—will visit New Zealand, spending a fortnight in this Dominion.

The New Zealand representatives to attend tho conference have not yet been appointed.