The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1929.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 May 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1929.

STATE FORESTRY. So .mb of the metropolitan papers are turning attention to aspects of Stale Forestry which are of special interest publicly. The Auckland Herald, for instance, has liecome rather critical, and in the course of some remarks in a current issue, goes on to say that when the administration of State f rosts and of afforestation activities in the Dominion which had previously been in tne hands of the Lands and Survey Department, was, in 1919, placed under the control of a separate and distinct body known as the State Forest Service, there was evolved a definite national forest policy which bad for its main objectives:— The development of nil economic policy of New Zealand timber for the New Zealand people, ensuring ample timber supplies for the Domicil by the management of the forest domain on a sustained yield basis. Regulation of stream flow, causer.

vat ion of water supplies' and maintenance of climate stability through protection forests.

Restoration of denuded forest lands to a timber production basis.

Dedication of all the national forest resources as State forests.

I This was a very admirable programme, i remarks the paper, and for a time it was admirably carried out, Imt for some muon or another it is evident ilia, during recent years a change has come over the department, 1 - or it lias diverged from its original course in a . variety of ways, tndoiib cdlv the ! main idea of those who framed the i policy as laid down,above was to conserve the existing native forests of ilie Domini in; to ensure that true values should be obtained from timj hers sold; 'that every care should be taken to prevent waste and destruction while working timber; to protect forests against lire; and finally, to encourage the development by thinning and planting of a 1 native forests in the nands of the department. If the estate Forest Ser, ice luid adhered to this programme it would have met with the full approval of the public, but it has, to a large extent, neglected the cut-out-forests in its charge, and has spent the chief part of its energies and a. vjery li/rge amount of the taxpayers’ money in planting exotic trees. Jf it bad confined its operations in this direction to the the planting of steep hill lands and country too broken for . agriculture there would not have been any serious grounds for comp'aint, but, unfortunately for New Zealand, the State Forest Service lias ignored agricultural requirements and lias planted most of its forests on level and cosily ploughable land which would have been much more profitably employed as small farms. There is a very important difference between the conservations and regeneration of native forests and the planting of arable land with trees of anv kind. The native forests of New Zealand, as a general rule, grow host on hill country and those that still remain are. for the most part, growing on land unfitted for any other purpose. These native forests are the guardians of the country’s water supplies, the protection of rivers and springs, and the natural covering which prevents floods and landslides. To preserve thorn ; to improve thorn : to utilise them, is a national duty, for they mean more than a timber supply; they effect the purity of water, they modify the climate, and have an important, bearing upon the liea'th of the people. The State Forest Service has pinned its faith rui the extensive planting of exotic forests largely on the assumption that quick-growing timber trees will he more profitable than our native kauris, rimus, tolarim. and that our native trees are extremely slew in growth and difficult In pr pomite. Tt is quite evident that those ofloors iC'csnopsib.le for snob oniniors have had little evper'ene” of ir'li e f tcH life. The late Afr T P. f'hetwpvn min of the greatest authorities in N"v Zealand on native flora, who. more than anyone, kept trees under scientific oliservaiinn. was able to show irre-

ratable evidence that even without j man’s assistance our most valuable native limber trees were ol as rapid growth as any other similar trees in j oilier parts of the world. Those who have bad the o. p rtunity during ream, yeai s of si inlying the growth •of na.iit* trees realise that where lelt o i.alur.il eondiii ns their early growth is le.miic pped by the density ol iimiersei'iib and lorn, but when lies.’ are kept in .cheek the native trees shout up qui e uic. lv. It. is evid- , 'lit. 100,, .hat Lite State Forest Ser- 1 /ice _ I.tees a somewhat extravagant sfci ..a e mi the nion.tary returns obi.ai;.a!)!e from man-made forests. Experience has shown in New Zealand but the high cost of labour and the spouse of cutting, milling, and toneying timber to Liu unmet is so igh .at t reds have to be very ( .avoiiraiily situated, and' working! oss very ec.nomien to enable any w0..1s to i.c made. Tins means, of onrse, that no miller, could all rd to •ivy a high price for stands ol timber, crtainly not tlie high price estimated ijv the services as the value of nidi- ; .eiiii plantation at a certain age. Tim- • her pl aiting by the State is a very necessary and very impor ant underlaking. lint it should be confined to its proper sphere, and that is country too broken to be used for agriculture. I'd. plant as the State Forest Service has been planting .great areas of plough able land that could be much •n .re' profitably used for farming purposes is a decided mistake, and should be stepp'd as soon as p ssible. Even lie idea of using me very large areas >f soft-wo d trees for pulping seems o have been based, on very extravagant estimates of m vnelary returns rpm this source. Air A. R. Entrican. • fore-try '-flicial who recently visited annda and the United States for the uirnose of inquiring into the p>ssiiliticv of paper pulp-making, says: <A word uf caution regarding the ten'cncy, to ovor-entliuse on the conimcrinl possibilities of the industry is very ie:cssary. . .” To achieve economical •e' r ulh«, mills should bo of a considor-ll-le size, a.n:l would invo'vo capital 'nvestment, of about £1,003,0(0. Now Zealand c' nsumption of paper pulp is snail, and the world’s market for.pulp md pnner in a parlous state. These • nsidered opinims do not offer any n'-nnracremont for New Zealanders to vlant trees fur paper pulp making, and orta : n!y should not. induce a State Department to use agricultural land "or tliis purpose.