TIMBER LICENSES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18129, 19 July 1924, Page 13

TIMBER LICENSES.

REPORT ON FOREST SERVICE'S CONTROL. (tares AssocxMios yanwiam.) WELLINGTON, Jnly IS. Tha report of. Mr John Straehatt, tho Commissioner, who waa appointed to enquire into the question of lino*? royalties and the effect upon local bodies' revenues of tho Forest* Act, 1921-22, waa tabled in the Hotwe today. The Commissioner, after an «*• haustive enquiry, finds that Be caaaet point to any definite loss as tha result of timber-cutting licenses being grunted by the Forest Service instead of factOf dealt with, as formerly, by tho Land Boards. An tho Cltttha, Walla**, and Stewart Island district* fourteen licenses were issued by the Forest Servi©*, covering 12,113 thousand feet of twttber, which was sold for £BOBB. «•• sibly, had this hind remained under the jurisdiction of the Land* Depot* nient, some of the timber would ml been disposed of on * royalty baa*, and local bodies would have benefited. In* amount of euoh benefit oedd not to aetermined. However, in «ae» of Uod* set apart under the War IffftifggSP Act, 1918, and the ForesU .Art. IWI- - the right* under sawmill fieeflat* already issued are protected, and lorn body revenues Will not 111067, except where such license* are forfeited or surrendered when tho State forest !•» serration operates. In the matter of timber on hum* under mining wiudens' esotrol, eattmated at 5.747,374 thousand feat* valued at £Bt3,BSS7, local bodiee ww* have had reasonable ground* to expect to receive half the royaltie* th*refr«n, so long as tho warder*' control «tf*» tinucd. Regarding provuaon m favour Of local bodies out of Forest Service r*~ venues to make up losse* of revepae from royalties, the Ojmrniawoner d*** not consider any grant of a fixed charge jmitiaed. He finds thajt j*o existing system imposes a hea.v* *•* , on the, Dominion's timber has brought about ineettitaW* djttttfr s bution of State .money* .Tb***temm - of 'halves" to cover State *«*»£»»■•• ' is not recommended, a* < tending: ftteway - \ to intensify tlie imSatisfactoryjpoeiUojfc •. The original idea of granting ?**!¥*£,' ', was to assist to mafco good Q»d*u& to the roads by the jwavy £■>' nc, but the fixing c-f the uocmi jA ■ half tho royalty payable to -the COnew 1 »7 f j dated Fund vma'i«eqoitab|*> .tlattMK: >) tigo caused to highway* b/ th# jewgg.V'ijf traffic of any particular be charfieabte to that ladMljr the medium of a, heavy U*m6.rWE&(w Local bbdies, in the areas «ftgwdJn ?| heavy truftV should eOnfet tnt* JM* >& object of reeonunending aitf'i***d»Mkl legislation needed to provide «MM£Jj traffic by-laws. Tho provision «f Wttt*, %> roads was imnerativa, trot Ih»*.G»sm;;A miasioner could not see reason why State timber title* mmW-& be singled, out as' a ; specialjaawjfcw ■;s revenue for the upkeep Of - *■■■<■-. <i roods. The lioenaws of miffing timbft h areas inOrown foreata wew Babfe M ;.,, rates on the timber. ueAtmrmt hm 7 if they paid the rent, and to aw «f* *. the position the area of ujiltiliijg ~ State- land, including oooaafdal iggf, j, - f ests not held under catting 1 shohld be one of the in allocating the annual rata of e««w|";' t ' s provided by the. Crown. ~.; If no change la to bo matter of timber royalties., the &*> ~ missioner suggests that which each local authority ja lueetff,» 'K receive should be taken into-«»W*f ' > tion when the annual aubaidy aMjf -f so as to ensure that eeWrtia* -.-', receiving these revenue* * «r» oifr , securing an unfair advantag* OH* counties where tbeiro is no timbaf revenue > > -