TIMBER INDUSTRY

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16546, 11 June 1919, Page 7

TIMBER INDUSTRY

FORESTRY LEGISLATION CRITICISED. A WEST LAND PROTEST. (press association telegram.) HOKITIKA. June 10. At the Westland Countv Council's monthly meeting to-day, the por-'.tion regarding the enforcement of foies >y | legislation in Westland was stiong\ • traversed by the chairman's ropoit. r which pointed out the impending in-. :rto the district by limiting the nrogress of settlement and the loss o revenue to the local bodies, as wel as the crippling of industrial dcve.op-| merit. Members discussed the matter , at considerable length, and in the course of the discussion tiie .strongest exception was i n to the proposed action, which, it was contended, was contrary to a promise made by the Prime Minister .Ir Msssev) to the West Coast local bodies in 1013, when the whole P^; sl " r ; on was then under review. liie Council resolved to invite Sir Francis Bell to visit the district and discuss matters w-ith the local bodies and people interested, failing which it was resolved, as follows: "That the Council enters a strong protest against the Commissioner of Forests using the powers that were obtained in a surreptitious manner in the dying hours of last session of Parliament, to deprive the inhabitants of the county of Westland. and also this Council, of one I of the chief sources of county revenue, bv locking tip vast areas of matured forests for no definite purpose, and by so doing absolutely removing such forests from the best use to which they could be put. namely, conversion into timber for industrial purposes, and opening up of land suitable for settle-

•"lent. The Council also strongly protests against anv further areas being I proclaimed as provisional forests until 1 a definite policy for dealing with such j forests has been evolved and announced, and until some scientific sys- ■ tem of demarcation has been submitted to, and approved by, the people and local bodies interested; that a petition be presented to Cabinet in trie first instance (and later to both Houses of Parliament, if necessary), praying for repeal of the confiscatory portions of Soction 34 of the War Legislation Statute Law Amendment Act. 1918, relating to State forests, pointing out the serious wrong and injury done to industry and industrial development, s well as dislocation of local bodies' finance which will result under the terms of the section referred to." The Council reiterated that the section was put through Parliament with indecent Haste and without adequate explanation as to the force and effect of the sweeping amendment therein contained, as shown more particularly in the memo, on the policy of the Government issued by Sir Francis Bell to Commissioners of Crown Lands in April last. The following resolutions were also carried: "That steps he taken to obtain a careful estimate of the life of the existing native timber in Westland at the present rate of milling operations" ; "That #S« Council heartily affirms the principle of reafforestation, and that it be a suggestion to the Government that either the Forestry Department or the local bodies be authorised to proceed with work at once upon cleared areas of Crown lands considered suitable, thereby affording employment for a number, of returning soldiers who are at present unable to undertake other sustained heavy work, and that it be pointed out that if reafforestation of fast-growing imported trees be undertaken, they will be at maturity long before the Native timbers of Westland are exhausted at the present urogress of sawmilling"; "That to afford access to tie vast areas of millable timber in South Westland, which would be otherwise destroyed. t(> make room for settlement, the Council urge the Government to extends tho railway south of Ross, as already jh». thorised. as rapidlyas possible" : "That ctens be taken to improve the Okarito harbour for shipping and to provide landing and loading wharves for export at Bruce Bay nnd Jackson's T?ay, as well as to consider ways and means of providing facilities for exporting timber ; from Okuru and other parts of South Westland": "That +o ensure the neces- ( sary supply of milled timber being > available for the Dominion for decades to oirme. the Government he ■urged to j establish State sawnilils in South , Westland. and instal the requisite plant j for developing hvdro-electric power in r the most convenient of the many suit- , able sources in the far-stretchiog dis* j trict of Westland." j It was further resolved to hold a ~ inference of local bodies from Karamea to South Westland at Hokitika on

'v Ist; to prepare evidence to submit to Parliament in support of repeal legislation.