WILD NATURE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2112, 1 April 1914, Page 5

WILD NATURE.

PROTECTION; SOCIETY MEferS.

FOREST RESERVES WANTED.

A meeting of the council of the newlyformed New Zealand Forest and • Bud Protection Society was held in tho Wellington -Acclimatisation Society's rooms, Mr. L. O.'H. .Tripp,^vice-president, presiding in tlie' absence of Mr. 0. H. Treadwell,- president. Mr. B. M. Moliiieaux, treasurer, Mr. H. G. Ell, organising secretary, and Mr. C. I. Diisent, secretary, were also present. , . The seoretarjSi'eported that the re- ,- ceipts to date amounted, to £46 9s. 6d. in subscriptions and donations, which he considered an excellent start for a society, only.afew weeks old. That amount included donations of £10 each from Sir Walter Buchainsn,. Mr. S. 6. Carlyon, and Professor i. Macmillan Brown, of Christehurch. In recognition of their generosity all three gentlemen were mado life members', of tho society. It , was also reported that inquiries respecting the aims arid objects of-the society were coming from-all parts of the Dooninionj and. general support was 'being accorded the society. ' •; Tho organising secretary reported that he had sent out 300 copies of the prospectus of tho socioty to all parts of New.. Zealand.' Newspapers to £ho number of 107 had received copies and had given generous support to the movement."' The Ruapehu Bujh. Among the correspondence was a let-. ier from tho Manawatu Philosophical So- ' ciety of, PalmoMon North on the important, matter of extending the boundaries of the National Park. Tho letter ■ v.as as folWs:— . : "Dear Sirs, —I am directed by my cojincil to invite the cooperation or' your society in an effort whicii it has recently started to secure the preservation of the bush on Ruapehu. Un the occasion of tl» Prime; Minister's last visit.to Pallnerston a deputation representing the Manawatu Philosophical .Society, tho Borough Council, and the Chamber of Commerce urged iupon, him the pressing need of immediate steps being taken to prevent t'lieV destruction of the bush . by. tho sawmills which had been : : already introduced.: The deputation" Urged— (1) That the Government should extend the boundaries of the Tongariro * National Park as recommended by Dr. Cockayne in his ■i report, so as to include the belt of bush which liijs outside the park as. at present proclaimed, buying the land Where necessary from the Maoris. (2) That the Government should provide adequate accommodation for tourists, who, if such accommodation : were provided,/ would find the district as attractive as Mount Egmont or Mount Cook. _' ■ ■ "At its annual meeting in January the Board, of. Governors of the New Zea r land Institute warmly supported the action taken by the Palmerston branch, and agreed that .its members, should invite their respective .Parliamentary, rop: c-sentatives to unite in pressing • the Matter upon tho attention of the Governinent as soon, as. Parliament meets) Meanwhile tho matter has,' at his request, been laid before the Prime Minister in writing. I am directed to invite your society, to take such action as they , may-think best calculated to support the movement. —Yours faithfully, K. Wilson, hon. sec." This letter was supported by another on the same subject, forwarded by Mr. J. W. Shaw, of Lismore, Canterbury: The support of tho society is to be given to tho movement. -. ■ ■"•'■ ■'~ - ■"■'■■ v: Individual•.•Resertfationf.-ft-na jfi'. In forwarding his cheque, Sir'. Carlyon, of Hawkcfs Bay, wrote that'he was re- , serving an area of 200 acres of forest land in tho» heart of Hawko's ~ Bay. Therq was now no other bush land with-, in miles'.of ■his, 1 ' place, .the. ,'wholo iof viti having: heeii'slaughtered.' There were a great number of '.tuis in this bit of bush, also pigeons, 'and kakas. lii forwarding a reply, the secretary advised Mr. Carlyon to take steps to have the bush mado a sanctuary, in order that anyone with a dog or gun found therein.might be prosecuted. At present tho offence would only be one of common' trespass. ' '..'.;■.. It was decided to forward a letter;to the Minister of Lands asking, that, the boundary between the Native land and the sanctuary on Kapiti Island be defined with a. rabbit-proof fence, to prevent cattle straying'and the place becoming overran'with rabbits'.: : ,■',.- .'. A resolution \\'ak \ passed, to- 'the ■ effect that in no'-case'should'the reserr\ vation on any portion:.of jland ,<be."re-' moved except by; Act .of : . Parliament.. Copies of the resolution, are . : bshig for- 1 warded, to tho Primb Minister' (Hon., W. F. Massey) and ,the Leader;of the Opposition. • .-'. : .... '' ; T, Miscellaneous. His Excellency the: Governor advised the society that both he and tho Coun- ■ tess of Liverpool would'be very pleased to act .as patron and patroness'of thesociety.' '■■'.■ . ...'•' Mr. W. J. Sanderson wroto making several valuable suggestions respecting the. Kapiti Island sanctuary. ■A letter was forwarded to Mr.. E. H. Hiley,-General Manager of Railways, pointing out where a beautiful bit or bush had been seriously scarred through a fire spreading back from the railway line, and asking that the men employed in burning off the growth close to tlie liues bo cautioned not to.allow the fire to spread to the 1 bush.' ■' Tho damage noted would take many years to recover. ; . A letter was forwarded.to.the,Patca County. Council, asking if it would bo prepared-to exchange a 12-acre block of bush land in tho Makuri Valley, for other land,.'as tho society desired to see the beautiful forest trees .growing thereon preserved.permanently. ' It was reported that serious damagewas being dono to the very.'■ beautiful bush along tho banks of Mirror Creek (which" flows into Lake Mahinapua). ■ A letter is being forwarded to the Lands Department pointing out the desirability of preserving tho bush along tho banks of tho creek, now one of tho - show scenic spots on tho West Coast. Suggestions were made that certain lands in tho Auckland and Wellington provinces should be reserved. ■ One (Auckland) block inontioned by Mr. Mdineaux, includes a very, beautiful lake. It- was also decided ■ that tho Lands Department should acquire for reservation a block of some 400 acres of forest land near Wellington, in which there are said to bo gigantic trees and nikaU'palms.'.'.''