THE EMPIRE'S FORESTS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 105, 31 October 1923, Page 8

THE EMPIRE'S FORESTS

POINTS FROM OTTAWA

CONFERENCE

NEW ZEALAND'S GOOD

SHOWING

AMERICAN'TIMBER SUPPLIES

DISAPPEARING.

An outstanding point in connection with the Imperial Forestry Conference at Ottawa, Canada, was that it was shown and fully recognised by delegates from all units of the Empire that in certain very important respects New Zealand led the Empire in forestry matters, stated Captain L. M'lntosh Ellis, Director of Forestry Services, when inter-, viewed by a "Post" reporter on his return to Wellington by the Main Trunk express yesterday afternoon. Nevertheless, he added, New Zealand had still far to go, and the distance oould only be travelled when the community as a whole had developed a fuller "forest conscience." That could not be brought about in a year or in two years, but must be steadily aimed at, that the people as a whole should realise what an essential and valuable asset timber resources properly handled meant to a country. Anglo-Saxons had not the forest consciousness, for the reason that for years past they had gone into new countries, where timber was plentiful and where forest conservation, in the face of vast supplies for the moment, was lost sight of. Steady work, the help of the rveas, and the excellent work, in the schools would do much for forestry- and for the interests of the Dominion as a whole. WitERE NEW ZEALAND LEADS'. At the tirst Imperial Forestry Conference, which was held in Great Britain, said Captain Ellis, certain resolutions were adopted putting the procedure of an Empire-wide forest stocktaking, the drawing of comparisons between various countries, and the evolving of the most practicable and applicable systems of forest conservation, and at tlie Ottawa conference this, year progress was reported along the lines laid down, the rosuifc of the comparisons showing that in the matter of scientific forestry practice in the service of the timber-consum-ing community New Zealand had perhaps made more rapid progress than any other Empire unit. In fire prevention successes tho Dominion stood well indeed, for in the past, year scarcely an acre of timber had been lost by fire, whereas in Canada hundreds of thousands "of acres had gone up'in smoke. Again, in the matter of afforestation, i.e., the planting- and propagation of trees, the progress- made by municipalities and local bodies in evolving planting schemes .was certainly far and away ahead of anything of the kind done in other parts of the Empire. Doubtless that was due to the facts that New Zealand had a rather more advanced forest conscience and that the return from tree-planting was more rapid i:n this country than elsewhere. When it was considered that pines matured for milling purposes in 28 to 30 years in New Zealand, as compared with 80 to 140 years in the Northern Hemisphere, it was not astonishing that the growingof trees for profit was being taken up m the Dominion. Everywhere when the results obtained from tree-planting in New Zealand were shown astonishment was expressed at the very high yields secured in the quantity per acre obtained and in the annual increment, the quantity of growth of Douglas fir, for instance, per annum being at least double that secured in Great Britain, due largely to the splendid soil and the favoorafeVs climatic conditions in New Zealand.

COMMUNAL FORESTS.

The_ county bodies of Ontario, said Captain Ellis, were not adopting the communal forest idea, and legislation had now been passed by that province enabling municipal and other local bodies to plant, maintain, atid operate as part of their ordinary activities such plantations for the supplying of the timber and fuel needs of future citizens, and there, as in New Zealand, the State Forestry Service was. co-operating closely in the supplying of trees and the arrangement of forest plans. "It was a great pleasure to me to be able to speak of the splendid achievements of such New Zealand municipalities and local bodies as those of Auckland, Christclmrch, Dunedin, Ashburton, and many others, in tree planting schemes. Generally speaking, New Zealand is well to the fore in her national, communal, and private forest schemes, and if the same progress is maintained for a few years, there is no question that this country will be able to 'sleep easy' regarding that essential commodity, wood.

DOMINION MUST STAND ALONE.

"Nevertheless, it is evident that New Zealand has not started her* definite forestry policy any too soon, for the tendency among other countries plainly seems to be to conserve their own resources for their own uses, and with the rapid and serious depletion of the timber assets of • Canada and. the United States, and with the probability and restrictions upon export, New Zealand will certainly have to stand alone; as regards her own .domestic needs. We have started to look after ourselves just in time. "In the States cutting is poing on five times as fast as forest is "oeing replaced, and in the near future the North American timber supplies will be less than sufficient to fulfil the requirements of those people. Practically all the soft woods that wo import into New Zealand come from the Pacific Coast, and with the greatly increased trade now running through the Panama Canal, enormous new markets are opened to the "West Coast limber land, and the result is that timber extinction is brought so much nearer in the Douglas fir lands. New Zealand must very soon paddle her own. canoe where timber is concerned.

TO ENSURE RE-STOCKING. "The Dnited States Government is contemplating the beginning of a gigantic campaign for the re-stocking of denuded or burnt-over areas, and legislation is proposed which will require tim-ber-land owners and operators to insure the re-stocking of their areas as the mature forest is exhausted. Private timber companies are. in some parts taking up the schemes willingly, and in the last two years three companies, operating over holdings of up to 60,000 acres, have laid plans' for steady .re-stocking that they may ensure a supply in perpetuity.

CANADA RUNNING SHORT. "At the present time a Eoyal Commission appointed by- the Canadian Government i s engaged in securing evidence throughout that Dominion as to timber resources and the desirability of placing a restrictive embargo upon the export of pulp wood to the United States. At present this wood pours over to the States in hundreds of thousands of cords, and it is, evident that the Canadian Government intends to do something to atop that tremendous leakage of valuable raw material. The demand for pulp wood in the States increases every year in astonishing fashion, as newspapers are issued in steadily incr-oasiug circulation ajia m tha, aoiue ul the American jkijjms

to-day running up to a hundred pages. Canada must look to her own 'mills, otherwise her . supplies of raw material will fall so low that she cannot keep them going." A full report of the proceedings at the Uttawa Conference, said- Captain- Ellis, was being prepared for the Minister, and would, no doubt, be available later to those interested in forestry.