TIMBER FAMINE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 233, 1 October 1912, Page 7

TIMBER FAMINE.

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, Sept. 21. Serious warnings are being sounded about a timber famine which is. said to be more imminent than most people^ think, and the existing conditions in Australia are .being spoken of in gloomy terms. Steps have been taken for the formation of an Australian Forestry League for'the purpose of focussing public attention on the matter and moving the authorities to action, generally endorsed, for the preservation of the limited existing forests alid the starting of new ones. y lt has been gravely pointed: out by the Minister for Agriculture of New South Wales, Mr Trefle, that Australia .is in -an altogether different position to America as regards timber resources. In America vast inland supplies remain when the timber has been cut out along the coasts, but Australia has practically no timber except in comparatively coastal fringes. The demands of settlement make it difficult to keep rarest reserves intact, and1 the jealous forest Commissioners who protest against the cutting up of reservs are much abused. In connection with ;iie setting out of new forests it is being urged that steps should be m to ,secure forests of trees suitm, • the production of paper pulp T u he; re is a g^pod .deal. .-of. t.ilk about the prssent high pikes of.tiiibor being die to tiie. operations of n combine,'but Mr, Trefle asserts that must continue to rise on account "of scarcity unless something i s c \one to preserve and establish forests: In connection with the subject of timber it may be mentioned that during discussion in the Federal Parliament on the intended use of locally-gi-own karri subjected to treatment caiJed Bowelhsmg,-. for sleepers on the east to west trans-continental line ■just.started,- reference has been made to JNew.Zealand experience with this particular wood. Mr Hedges, a West Australian member, said it had been claimed that Powellised karri had proved a success in New Zealand. However, the Prime Minister, of the Dominion had cabled to him that a number of Powellised karri sleepers which were said not to have been woods) , M the proper thing, and' the intention of the Commonwealth Gov:i*? use the inferior wood is attributable to the fact that the timber, areas which the Government holds are -nearly all o f karri whu J ■the. beat \of the jarrah carrying lands a^injh^jiands of private persons^