A FORESTS POLICY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 November 1927, Page 3

A FORESTS POLICY.

VALUE OF SOFTWOODS

A NEW ZEALAND EXAMPLE

-r BENDIGO (Vic.), Nov. 1. Speaking on afforestation at the weekly luncheon of Bendigo Commerce Club to-dav, Mr. D. E. Stacey, a New Zealand timber expert, said in the last 36 years the value of softwoods placed on the New Zealand! market had risen from oil to 1000 pier cent in value, and for the first time in history New Zealand was placing restrictions 1 upon the export of its finer timbers. The total forest area in Australia was only 1.09 per cent of its total area. Very little thought had been given to reafforestation or utilisation of waste lands. It was the duty of the Governmetn to a certain point to have a forests policy which would guarantee a- continuity of supplies to safeguard national industries.

After 50 years’ research and experimental work by the Lands Department and. the State Forests Service in New Zealand, it had been found "that pinus insignis would produce a timber suitable for rough work. In from 10 to 15 years' it • would produce impregnated timber, building timber, and timber

suitable for the manufacture of furniture in 125 years. But by far its greatest use was that it had l . a high cellulose content, and was, therefore, tile' timber tree of the future for the production of news print, craft, pulp and artificial silk. Forestry in New Zealand was- being made a national industry, and so Convinced was the Government that it was following a sound and sane policy that it had been stated in Parliament that New Zealand would, by the time the next generation was flourishing, wipe off her external debt by the production from its State- forests. He hoped the time was not far distant when Victoria would adopt a progressive policy which would ultimately render it independentof outside supplies, because- the- time was fast coming when the countries from which we now drew our supplies would have nothing to give us.