“MERITED HONOUR”

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31657, 18 April 1968, Page 8

“MERITED HONOUR”

Second Meeting In Chch When the annual conference of the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association began’ in Christchurch last evening the president (Mr N. Alexander) said that Christchurch was the first centre in which a conference of the association had been held a second time, it was an honour he believed was well merited. Christchurch had set an example to other centres. The City’s first Mayor, William Wilson, had been a nurseryman and enthusiast for trees, the City Council had given a lead to the Forest Service, when in 1916 it pioneered the use of Pinus radiata for sanddune stabilisation, and the province’s last Superintendent, William Rolleston, had brought the first loblolly pine, or Pinus taeda, into the country. I Opening the conference, the 1 Mayor (Sir George Manning) said that when the Canterbury pilgrims reached the top [of the Port Hills they faced one of the most dismal pros pects it would have been pos sible to see. But through the vision, courage and enterprise of the pioneers the city of such dismal prospect had, in 100 years, become the garden city of New Zealand. The conference is being at tended by about 230 persons from all parts of the country For the next three days thej will visit farms in MidCanterbury and North Canterbury to inspect plantings. This evening the DirectorGeneral of Forests (Mr A. L Poole) will speak to the conference, and tomorrow evening the association will hold its annual meeting.