WESTLAND WOOD PLUP

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 August 1929, Page 3

WESTLAND WOOD PLUP

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

(Special to "Star.”)

WELLINGTON, August 28. i Mr Howard asked the Commissioner - of State Forests to-day whether it were ; true that his Department has placed ob- >| stacles in the way of a wood pulp and ■ paper syndicate and prevented it from • developing that industry. I Mr Taverner replied that one of the matters under action at the time the present Government assumed office was • an application by the Westland Wood • Pulp and Paper Syndicate, Ltd., for ■ timber concessions in Westland, ini eluding the reservation of an area of ' virgin bush. The syndicate is primarily an investigating company proposed to dispose of its rights, if granted, to any other company which it might promote, for the purpose of directly or indirectly benefiting the syndicate. After, very careful consideration of all aspects of the application, including proposals for the utilisation of the timber applied for, Cabinet decided that it would not be in the public interest to grant the desired concession. The syndicate was informed on March 5 last that its application was declined. Although the Government lias not thought i/t desirable to grant the application of this syndicate it realises the potential value to the Dominion of the wood pulping industry and will encourage its establishment on a sound basis. In this connection valuable technical data and other information has been lately collected by the State Forest Service, in practical investigations of the subject carried on in conjunction with, the foremost authorities in the world. This information provides a valuable guide to those interested in the industry and is available for that purpose. Mr J. O’Brien said that representatives of the company had told him that if the concessions were granted it was intended to go ahead with the development of the wood pulp industry. The capital of the company mostly came from Canada, and there was no foreign capital in the syndicate at all. All the syndicate wanted to do was to take the timber that was left behind after the sawmiller had cut through the ground. Such timber was largely wasted at the present time. If the syndicate had been given the necessary assistance it would have started operations and would be employing 100 men. ( Mr Taverner said there was no desire on the part of the Government to block the development of the wood pulp industry, and the main reason why the application of the syndicate had been declined was that the syndicate wanted the concession of a large area- of virgin bush, admittedly for the purpose of using it as a lever against sawmillers., with whom they proposed to deal. The Government was not prepared to countenance that.