SCENIC DESTRUCTION.

Feilding Star, 23 July 1907, Page 4

SCENIC DESTRUCTION.

SAWMILLING TACTICS. AN INTERESTING PIECE OF HISTORY. A few weeks ago a deputation, headed by Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, interviewed a Minister of the Crown, in an endeavour to procure the removal of a reservation from a portion of the Forest Reserve adjacent to the Miaungatarere stream, on the eastern slopes of the Tararuas, between Carterton and Masterton. It was urged that if the requisition was not granted a large number of sawmill hands would be thrown out of employment. This incident has led a correspondent to revive memories of five y^irsago, and he mentioned that Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., was familiar with the facts. Conversing with a representative of the Post, Mr Hogg said that five years ago^the employees of a sawniilling company took up sections of the forest land in question, alleging that they intended settling on it. The mill cut the timber out, and then the workmen seemed to have no further interest in the settlemnt project. They declined to live on their sections, or comply with the conditions of lease in any way. The Commissioner of Crown Lands and members of the Land Board visited the locality and found that a road had been made through it with Government money for the settlers who persisted in their refusal to live on their allotments. They pleaded that the ground was too poor, and their leases were forfeited. In the meantime the road had been handed over by the Government to the County Council, from which the sawmilling company got permission to construct a tram-line along the middle of the thoroughfare, a work which made it almost impossible for a trap to use the road. In return for this concession the company agreed to carry by tramway the stores required by settlers, and this was not very heavy traffic. Now, 'it was stated, the same company was endeavouring to secure the right to hack down valuable and irreplaceable bush which grew on land that was practically useless for any other kind of vegetation. Applications had been made for years past for portions of the bush land in their neighbourhood, and the Land Board had invariably refused them, considering that the preservation of scenery and also the demands that were likely to arise for timber in the future were sufficiently important to warrant it in preventing any further destruction of the bush. Finally the matter had been referred by the Minister to the commissioner for the district. Mr Hogg spoke very strongly foV the retention of the bush, which makes a very pretty feature of the well-known Mount Holdsworth scenery. In demolishing the argument about throwing men out of employment he submitted that if this forest was cut out settlers in the lowlands at the foot of the mountain, including those of the Carrington Estate, which the Government was now endeavouring to acquire, would be unable to get whatever timber they required for fences, outbuildings, and other purposes. The bush also had a very sound actual value, for it stood on the main watershed from which Carterton, Masterton and intervening farm districts got their supplies of water. Moreover, if the trees were cleared away, the ground would be of little value for pastures. Finally, he considered that the company was trying to §et valuable timber for next to nohiing, and if the bush there or anywhere else was condemned to the axe and saw, the executioners should ht.ve a bid against one another at auction. However, for thoroughly practical reasons, he was strennotfaly opposed to the demolition, and then there were all the arguments that could be advanced on the scenic side — arguments that weighed most with very many people.