PROFIT IN BEAUTY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 284, 30 November 1944, Page 8

PROFIT IN BEAUTY

VALUE OF FORESTS

DO NEW ZEALANDERS KNOW?

(By LEO FANNING)

"I wonder how long it will take the people of New Zealand to have the same appreciation of forests as the old-time Maori folk had," remarked the Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister in charge of the Tourist Department, recently. He was chatting about the tourist value of unspoilt native forests, whose importance in soil conservation has been much emphasised lately. "It is the duty of New Zealanders to save those beautiful forests, not only for themselves but for travellers from other countries," said Mr. Parry. "In saving beauty they will also reap material profit."

The Minister was certainly right in that declaration. Over many years distinguished visitors from many countries have told New Zealanders about Nature's marvellous gift, the charming forests. Some very impressive tributes came from the British Press delegates who toured the Dominion some years ago. After a drive through a valley flanked by ferny forest, Lord Burnham (head of the delegation) remarked: "What particularly struck me was the exquisite beauty of the verdure of the forest and the limpid blue of the streams and rivers."

A most striking salute to the native forests came from another delegate, Mr. A. P. Herbert, a famous author. "Preserve your forests," he urged. "There's nothing like them anywhere. Why worry about production at the expense of such beautiful scenery?" Trees and Woodpulp Later on, in one of his humorous sallies in "Punch," Mr. Herbert again showed his love of trees. His skit, "We want Woodpulp," had this introduction: To think that that superb and lovely tree Will be but woodpulp in a year or two, To take the printed thoughts of fools like me And pass them on to imbeciles like you. "There is no natural object (unless it be a dog) which we love so well as a tree," he went on. "When it is turned into paper we print upon it all the worst possible news, all the odious outpourings of us poor journalists. Sir, is this the way to treat a tree?" Typical of the tributes of many notable visitors is this one by a distinguished scientist, Dr. Johannes Schmidt: "In the native forests alone New Zealand has a heritage to be treasured. Preserve what you can for the admiration of visitors like myself and for the perpetual enjoyment of your own sons and daughters, and in preserving the forest you will also assist in preserving your wonderful bird life. Your fern beauty is unrivalled." "No Arden ever saw such forests; no lover ever carved his mistress' name on such trees," wrote J. A. Froude in "Oceania." Vengeance Of Tane Some of the forests which Mr. Froude admired long ago have vanished, and others are threatened. Perhaps to-day, when some of the older Maoris see a ruinous landslide on a steep scrap from which the forest has been stupidly cleared by axe and fire, they have a thought that the forest god, Tane-mahuta, has shown his anger. Never, before British settlers began their war on the wood, did the Maori people work any needless havoc in a forest. With such respect as devout worshippers have in entering a church, a temple or a mosque, they made their way into a forest, eager to avoid offending Tane or any lower spirits or elves. In the Maori belief, the trees themselves were living emanations of Tane, and in all forms of life in the woods the natives beheld descendants of the various gods, whose anger could be aroused by man's carelessness, ignorance or disrespect.

Therefore religious rites, to lift the tapu from the forest and its denizens, were performed by the tribal priests at the opening of each season for the gathering of fruits and birds. No tree was felled for any purpose until special rites and invocations had been performed to appease the gods, particularly Tane. To the Maori of old the forest was a treasury of Nature carefully guarded so that it would yield the needs of life from one generation to another— on and on through the ages. Yes, as Mr. Parry has said, if the pakeha gives heed to that Maori wisdom, the remnants of the forest primeval will be saved for the perpetual benefit and pleasure of the people.