FORESTRY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19675, 19 July 1929, Page 3

FORESTRY.

■ -. —♦ —- AUSTRALIA WAKING UP. CANBERRA'S SCHOOL OF FORESTRY. (FROM Or* SPECIAL BEPBESENTATIVE.) CANBERRA., July 5. An Economic Society has just been established in Canberra, with the Government Statistician, Mr C. E. Wickens, as president. At a meeting of the Society on Wednesday night an address on forestry questions was delivered by Mr H. R-. Gray, who holds a post as Lecturer at the Australian Forestry School, situated on the outskirts of the Federal capital. Mr Gray is a graduate of Oxtord. In the course of his remarks, he issued a warning to persons who proposed to invest in forestry companies which promised fabulous returns, and stated that a quicker and surer return would probably be realised by putting the money in the bank to earn interest. It would be absurd, he said, to contemplate cutting trees into milled timber eight years after planting. If the timber were employed in pulp-making even after 15 years' growth, the returns would barely equal the capital invested. Various companies have been started in recent years in Australia and New Zealand with a view to growing timber of a special kind and waitiug for the "fabulous" returns in the years to come, and many people have invested in this direction. Mr Gray's remarks will cause tbam a little concern. Some interesting particulars regarding Australian timber were given during the last session of the Federal Parliament by Mr Abbott, Minister for Hom6 Affairs, in moving the second reading of the Forestry Bureau mil. That sufficient attention has not been paid to the restoration of our depleted timber supplies is shown by the fact that in 1927 (the figures for 1928 had not been completed when MiAbbott spoke) we imported 499,920,000 super, feet of timber, principally softwood, valued at £5,034,000. In the same year we exported 114,000.000 super, feet of timber, mainly West Australian jarrah, valued at £1,372,000. The differenece between our timber imports and exports is a matter of serious moment, and the position becomes the more serious in view of the fact that the last of the virgin jarrah country in West Australia will soon be cut out. The larger mills are graduallv closing down —a sure indication or the decline and ultimate fall of this valuable industry and of our increasing dependence upon supplies from overseas. The bulk of our imported timber at the present time comes from America, whose virgin forests on the Pacific slope enable her not only to meet the requirements of her own large population, but also to send large quantities away. But these supplies are not inexhaustible. Forest authorities, indeed, have computed that within the next 25 years the American supply or Oregon, western yellow pines, and redwood will have become so reduced that there will be no surplus for export. '•The unenviable position in which Australia finds herself ."said the Minister, "is due to lack of appreciation in the past of the fundamental principle that forests should be managed so that the cut of timber does not exceed the annual growth. It this principle ii'' not observed the inevitable result must be that our forests will become exhausted. Had our original forests been properiy exploited 5.000,000 acres or forest would have been sufficient _to meet the needs of the present population. Australia still has approximately 1&500.QCO acres of forest, aod with

proper management we should be able not only to supply our own needs, but to export the yield from 14,600,000 acres annually. The scientific management of our forest heritage would have enabled us to supply the needs of a population of 24,000,000. At the present rate of increase this position will not be reached for more than 60 years. Much of the mischief done is beyond remedy, but all is not lost." The establishment of the Australian School of Forestry at Canberra is one of the most important steps taken by the Federal Government towards educating the people in this most important matter. The school is in charge of Mr C. E. Lane-Poole, InspectorGeneral of Forests, who graduated at the famous Forestry School of Nancy, France; and he has an able staff of lecturers and demonstrators. It is hoped, in co-operation with the States, to make the whole organisation at Canberra a centre of forest learning and research. The school was established in 1925 primarily to provide professional education to recruits of the State Forestry Services and the Commonwealth Forestry Bureau. E"* l ?' however, is not restricted to such students. The course extends over two vears, at the end of which period a Diploma in Forestry is granted. Adjacent to the school is the forest nursery, where the practical work of raising plants is taught. No fees are charged, and scholarships are provided to enable students to take special courses abroad.