The Hawera Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1924. THE WORLD’S TIMBER SUPPLIES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 October 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1924. THE WORLD’S TIMBER SUPPLIES

Delivered every evening by a o'clock in Hawera Manaia. Okaiawa, Eltharn, Patefc, Waverley, Mokoia, WLakamara! Onaagai, Mersmere, Fraser Road. and Otakeno Manutabi, Alton, Burley ville. Mangatokt. Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake,

For too long in New Zealand the people followed a policy of • ‘plant a tree and cut it down,” but in recent years more notice is being taken of the frequent warnings of people who have given careful thought to the matter, and the Forestry Department is doing excellent work in planting young trees upon suitable land in various parts of the Dominion. The annual report of the Director ol Forestry for the year ended March 31 last states that, the year was a record in profitable forestry ’Operation in the Dominion. “The total forest income from all sources—sales of trees, timber income, grazing, and minor uses'— was £93,479, whilst the total operational, protective and general management expenses were £42,584 (a distributed charge of only 1-id per acre), leaving a balance of £50,895, which was applied to the capital investment of State forest plantations throughout the Dominion and to their maintenance, protection and improvement.'’ State -plantations in New Zealand at the end of the year embraced 51,825 acres, and the following figures show liow the work of the department is growing: In 1920-21 new plantations totalled 1381 acres; in 1921-22, 3408 acres; in 1922-23, 2862 acres: in 1923-24, 7207 acres. We have not space to quote extensively from the instructive report before us, but it is interesting to note that 1,840,000 trees for planting were disposed of by the department to settlers, returned soldier farmers, runholders, local bodies and others—another record in the department’s history. The director states: “The service must now consider the problem of formulating a permanent and lasting forest programme, and in a few months it must express a definite, exact, and practical plan upon which can be built our national forest policy for all time.” We hope that the importance of forestry in New Zealand is realised by the people as a whole, and especially by people who are associated with the land, for reports from all over the world are to the effect that a great shortage is expected within a few years unless definite steps are taken to restore the supplies. At the British Association at Toronto recently it was stated that unless prompt and effective measures are taken a world famine in conifers and other soft timber is only a question of time. We read in the London Times that Europe’s “annual consumption far exceeds the fresh forest growth, and the virgin forests of Canada and the United States, huge as they are, are not expected to last at the outside for more than thirty years if the present rate of depletion if continued.” The Times goes on to state the position in Britain which, it says, “draw’s 95 per cent, of her timber supplies from abroad and pays £100,000,000 a year for the convenience.” In a statement Professor Fraser Story, the technical officer of the Forestry Commission, in an interview with the Loudon Times’ Toronto representative, expressed the opinion that: At no distant date the Empire may. well become iself-supporting, provided that there is reaspnable development at home, with adequate conservation of our resources throughout the Empire, particularly in Canada. There w’ere m this country, he said, some 5,000,000 acres of w’aste land w’hich at present w’ere producing practically nothing, but w’liich w r ere perfectly capable of cultivation for purposes of afforestation. Though the Forestry Commission had been in existence for only four actual planting • seasons they had already planted 40,000 acres. Turning to the question of Empire production, Professor Story said that our great source of supply was Canada. Hie resources of that Dominion, w’hich by itself would be capable of making the Empire selfsupporting, w’ere almost unlimited, but the loss from forest fires was appalling. During the last five years no fewer than ten million acres of timber had been destroyed in Canada by fire. In his view, with care and conservation, nature should be able to do all that w’as necessary in the w’ay of ensuring adequate supplies for the Empire from Canada. Professor Story recalled the fact that the first Empire Forestry Conference was held in 1920. These conferences, he said, enabled those interested in forestry in all parts of {he Empire to come together and exchange ideas and discuss difficulties. Within the Empire they were coming to a great common understanding as to the particular measures to be adopted. An important side urns the disposal of Empire-grow’n timber, and they were working at the idea of the establishment in London of an Empire Forestry Bureau, which w’ould be actually a clearing house for information. Timber producers in the Dominions would be able to apply to the bureau for suitable outlets for their products. They would* .also come to it to obtain seeds. For instance, there were some trees which, although native to British Columbia, grew’ particularly well in New Zealand, but the New’ Zealand planter might not know’ where to obtain the seed he required, and that was where the bureau could help him.

From the views of men who have studied the quc-tion carefully it is learned that they regard the outlook as serious, but if adequate definite action is taken in various parts of the Empire, our nation can provide' sufficiently for future requirements. It is therefore important that New Zealand’s State Forestry Department should be properly supported, and that every encouragement should be given to the w’ork of tree-planting and timber growing. Hie matter is of national and Empire importance, and we believe that New’ Zealand will not lag behind in her efforts to secure for the future sufficient timber supplies.