TIMBER AND RE-FORESTRY

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 55, 2 September 1916, Page 9

TIMBER AND RE-FORESTRY

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —I think it must be admitted that the people of this country are a very funny lot in many ways, and in particular the way we deal with some of our most important productions. However, I intend only to allude to the timber industry. There have been many reports by experts on our timber supplies, and the best means of reafforesting, and strangely enough none of these experts were local, but on the old eaying that "Far-off cows have long horns,".it was thought better to import experts who knew nothing about the country (some may have heard' of it) either physically, topographically, its cbmate, soil, etc., but were dependent on those who lived in it for their information. They came, they saw, and they reported, and there it has ended. The various Governments have been taking, according to their ideas, strenuous efforts to preserve our timbers. I admit, they have been lucky in obtaining the services of some good men for the work of reforesting, though I think the mode is slower and more costly than might be; the results so far, however, are very encouraging. My main object in writing this is to show how remarkable the idea is of getting rid of our present forests by allowing the exportation of timber, and then importing experts to advise as to replanting.' As with other of our productions,, the local consumer has to pay more for them—at all events, in most cases —than outsiders. I am taking the figures of the export of timber from the Year Books for 1914 and 1915. In 1909 the amount' {using round numbers as being most simple) wa3 71,599,000 super! feet; in 1910, 81,9-10,000 feet; in 1911, 86,300,000 feet; I in 1912, 94,454,000 feet; in 1913, 63,469,000 feet-; in 1914, 83,342,000 .feet. I have not the returns for 3916 oi this year, but taking them at that of 1914 (83,342;000 . feet), . the total amount- of timber exported in nine years amounts to 646,788,000 super, feet. Is. it any wonder, that our timbers are scarce.and dear? In a very able article on State afforestation in New Zealand, written in 1914 by Mr. James; MacKenzie, then Under-Secretary for Lands, and published in the Year Book for 1914, he calls attention to the fact that, according to the rate of milling, the supply would not last for more than thirty-five to forty years, and this with the aid of imported timber for local use. With respect to the statement by . the' recently-imported expert that our native trees were not of slow growth, Mr. MacKenzie mentions kauri trees with girth from 4ft.to 30ft, the average being 12ft. He says unfortunately it takes from 600 to 1200 years to' attain its full size. Why do not those interested in our timbers—l don't mean those who are speculating in*' them —impress upon.the Government the urgent necessity of prohibiting the export. —I am, etc., H. D. TRAVERS. 31st August.