AFFORESTATION

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 136, 5 December 1918, Page 2

AFFORESTATION

FURTHER MINISTERIAL POWER.

Additional powers are conferred^ upon the Commissioner of State Forests by the War Legislation Bill as it passed the Legislative Council yesterday. Ine Commissioner may (a) purchase, and hire sawmills and machinery, and cut and sell timber in State forests; (b) private lands for addition to qr protection of State forests. . _■ ■ Power is also given for the GovernorGeneral in Council to set apart Crown lands for afforestation and to,make re- ' gulationo for limiting the export from New Zealand of timber, whether in logs or sawn, and prohibiting the sale of " standing timber or the grant of licenses to cut standing timber on public or private lands of any tenure, except subject to such conditions as may be pre* \ scribed. When the Bill was before the Council the Hon. J. T. Paul said he'had only one fault to find with the provision. Sir Francis BeH~ (who is ftie Commissioner) : The Commissioner should be a younger man. v . Mr. Paul: No; but that provision was not made eavlier. The , Commissioner, with his usual energy, will, I hope, be able to make up for lost time. In the House of Representatives the Prime Minister said- thit the Department of Forestry was already doing good work. Plan« were being prepared not only of the forests in the North Island, Jbut also of those in the Souih Island. . The Council* amendment was accepted, „-..<.■ - : ■