A FOREST RESERVE IN DANGER

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 25, 30 January 1908, Page 3

A FOREST RESERVE IN DANGER

TO THE EjDITOS. Sir, — Tho acquisition for closer tettlemout cf tho Carringtou estate at C'arterton and the bush fires that have been sweeping along the foot of ¦ the " Tararta iauge3 are giving tho Goths' and' Vandals opposed -to forest or tcenery preservation- another opportunity of advecathig tho invasion qf the Jorest up the Mangatarere Valley and toward* Mouut Holilfwoith for the benefit of tho vawmillpr?. It will bp remembered 'that- six • months ago a determined effort was mado by Mesrrs Booth and Co to g<*t possession for milling purpojee of t^he fane piece' of -buFh that remains- along the Mangatarero* Gorgftr It was- then urged that the 1 cutting out of the trees that are fit for milling would not injure or endanger the bush because owing to th© J heavy undergrowth no fires could spread The hollo-ivnesa of this argumont is now made apparent .by tho fact that the sprtading' of the rec"ent b^sh, fires is brought forward as a reason why Ihe Settlers and the eawmillprs should be accommodated and 'the bush destroyed. It is etated that tho Lands .Department is again being asked to allow the forest to bo thrown open to the timber cutter. The lalter,' however, has had a very good innings, and in , tho opinion of many he has 'destroyed the climate and tcencry along the baso of tho Tararua ranges to a sufficient extent. - ' Heads have bepn made L>y the Public Works Department, only to be converted into sawmill tramways, ancl land,hat> been dummied to secure fine timber — the only crop of value it 'is ever likely to carry. • Again, presumably, ¦ the Land 'Board and Minister of Lam's, are .tp < be interviewed and thß cause of tho workers who aye to be thrown out of employment if the forefct is not allowed 'to be massacred will be tearfully pleaded," while the, artful monkey that i's securing the chestnuts is carefully secluded.' The previous' proposal to -allow the timber- 1 to be gut out was strenuously opposed by many. As a fact the application of the saynnillers to further prosecute the destruction of the forest reserve was reported against and protested -against by every disinterested 'individual that knew any thing of the locality. The members of the Land Board and Commissioner, 'of Lands visited the place, and the Crowu I/ands ranger examined it. On one side were the 'taw-millers' urging that owing to tho rainfall in the Tararua's, the removal of the larger trees would in no -way endanger • th© destruction of 'the bush by fire ; on. the other the. report to. the contrary of tho Ciowu Land ranger ¦ and the adverse conclusions of the Land Board backed, up by ftrong resolutions from the Mast erf on and Wairaropa County Councils, and, the protect ¦of the Mt Holdsworth Track Committee* urging that for the sake of the climate and scenery tho bush i-hould bo carefully preserved. , The Land Board Ka.d fiufficiant L>acJcfc»oti» to sternly j-ceist the efforts 'that-wer& made to deetroy a valuable portion of the forest reserve and it is hoped that the burning of the fringes of the bush is not likely to induce them to alter their 1 decision. — I am, etc., ANTI-VANDALISM.