The Timber industry.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1922, Page 1

The Timber industry.

A “TIMES” INTERVIEW.

THE DIRECTOR OF FORESTRY ON “IRKSOME REGULATIONS.”

STATEMENTS REFUTED

(New Zealand Times of Monday)

“t am very much surprised to find, ■vs detailed in the interview in the “Times”, that Mr D. J. Evans (Hokitika) states that the State Forest Department in restricting the export of red pine to Australia,” stated Mr L. Mclntosh Ellis, Director of Forestry, in the course of an interbie.w with a ■‘Times?’ representative yesterday. !, .\s a matter of fact, these regulations are enforced by the Board of Trade, under tihe Board of Trade Act, and the State Forest Service has nothing to do with them. The forest "service operates under the Forestry Act. 1921, which gives no power for regulating trade and commerce. As to the ‘restrictions and irksome regu-< lations’ spoken of by Mr Evans, if he means that measures have been taken during the past? year by the service to require the fulfilment of the obligations entered into by timber licensees, he is correct: but. so far as the bona fide miller is concerned, every effort has been, and is 1 i" made to meet him in a fair and businesslike spirit. There is nothing in the regulations that will interfere with the legitimate sawmilling industry. It is, in fact, our object to assist in fostering and stabilising this great primary industry.”

S A WATT-LEERS’ POSITION.

WELL-WISHERS TO FOREST

POLICY

Mr A. J. Seed (secretary to the New Zealand Sawmillers’ Federation), wdio was. also interviewed 1 by a “Times” representative on the same subject, said: “I cannot make any statement at present with regard to the feeling on the West Coast as to the State Forest service regulations; but I will be going down to the Coast shortly and will then make inquiries into the matter. T have just spent five weeks, I may say, in and around the mills on the North Island Main Trunk, and Rotorua lines and have found amongst the sawmillers no feeling against the action of the department or its regulations. 1 “People,; however, said that the Government has pushed its inspectors into pretty nearly every industry in the Dominion, and now it is pushing them into the sawmilling Industry. There seems to he a general feeling that there is too much State interference with' industry. But it is, T may add, the desire of the sawmillers throughout New Zealand to work whole-heartedly with the department ns far as possible. The Sawmillers’ Associations are all members of the League and well-wishers to the forest policy; because they realise that unless the timber is conserved the industry cannot continue. Grow it and use it, should be the policy; and the department is undoubtedly doing good work in this direction,”