THE TIMBER TRADE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3012, 24 February 1917, Page 10

THE TIMBER TRADE

Sir, —A few days back appeared aa item in the local papers that attracted my attention. It was a report stating that the, South Africa will load . 1,500,000 ft. of sawn white pine at Dargaville for Sydney, another steamer 1,250,000 ft. also for Sydnoy; and the barque Manurewa with 350,000 ft., and the schooner Maroro with 250,000 ft. would also soon be sailing for Australia. Now, wheu I read this, it convinced me that a large trade is at present being carried on'in'the wuy of the export of timber, which leads one to consider the following questions, as it appears that timber in any quantity, can bo exported from New Zealand. I What will becomo of our forests if this unrestricted exportation continues? Will they not disappear in a few years' time P A country can soon rid itself of its woods by exporting it to other countries. Mind, once our native for-' ests are gone' they are gone for over, and then wc would have to import wooa for our own use. Then surely the Government can see its way to restrict the exportation of native trees to a minimum of so many feet per month or year,- as they think fit, and, furthermore, plant' them regularly every year in the form of plantations, and so maintain an industry that otherwise Trill soon become extinct. Wo could then, with the restricted export, keep up supplies for our own use. Another point: every yoar a number of trees arc planted on a day. set aside for that purpose, but hov many of them are native trees? Why not plant them instead of pines and other imported trees?—l am, etc.. , OBSERVER. February 23, 1917.