DESTRUCTION OF TIMBER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 96, 16 January 1908, Page 8

DESTRUCTION OF TIMBER.

STEEL AND FLAME—WHICH IS WORSE? (BT TZLEfiBATH—3PEOIAL ' COBEESPONDENT.) • ■, '*. Auckland, January 15., " The'recent bush fires have drawn the following editorial remarks from the""Herald"! —" While the whole ■ of "Nbw ;i Zealand' ! 'is ; covered with the haze iof innumerable bushfires, some; of which are doing a' large" amount of damage, it is a good time- to aSk whether i there is any wisdom iii tjie frcquentlyrheard proposition to impose such restrictions upon the timber industry ' as ' will prevent:; our, ':■■ ■ forests frqin being speedily work.ed out.. li tha native timber could be conserved, there might bo some'basis for the proposal, but asL a matter of fact .fires destroy at least .as ! .much' timber as : is marketed- : ■ ■■■- : : " It is as much' as we can hope to. do .to j.' save reseired .areas upon, which posterity ' may see the beauties of our native bush, arid even this-c:in only, be hoped for'if we take , extraordinary precautions. As ,for i the i forests themselves, they would-be generally . / tainted away within if they., wero. not" worked. 'If; the wilful, and careless do-, atruction of timber could be prevented, thorp would bo'much less need to look with alarm ; . at our disappearing forests. . In any , enso, : the timber of the future wall be, genprally grown in plantations where it . can'be easily, handled and properly "protected,' 'and ' tho kauri will be.kiiown only as.a wonderful and curious "survivor from a. past ago." .*.,' ' ;...