FORESTRY LEAGUE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 174, 24 June 1926, Page 8

FORESTRY LEAGUE

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Forestry League, held in Wellington last night, was attended by some thirty members. Sir James Wilson, the patron of the league, presided,, in the absence of the president (Mr James Deans, of Canterbury), who is at present abroad.WASTE IN EARLY DAYS. In reviewing the prodigal waste of valuable timber in the early days of settlement in New Zealand, Sir James Wilson said that the people of the Dominion had been prodigal in burning great forests of valuable timber, forgetful for the future in their desire for further production. “Tho only way we could think of supplying future wants,” proceeded Sir James Wilson, ‘‘was by planting areas which at that time cost about £l2 an acre, although latterly much reduced. This was the time that the Forestry League entered into play. * The league said that the first action should be to create a new department by taking forestry out of the Lands Department, and I doubt if anyone in the Ministry had the power to effect this, had not Sir Francis Bell, regardless of opposition, created the State Forest Service. In writing to Sir Francis Bell, when he was going Home and wishing him God-speed, I said that (for he spoke of retiring) in the future there was none other of his works which was of greater importance to New Zealand than his action in connection with the Forest Service. With a modesty of one whom I venture to think one of the great men of New Zealand, he replied: ‘I agree that if I have done anything worth remembering, it is establishing forestry on a solid basis.’ ”

AREA OF FORESTS. “With ‘forestry on a solid basis,’ we can now look upon its work. I have not a Forest Service report, but there is an excellent account of forestry in the Year Book. We have a total area of forest dedicated to forestry or conservation of 7,485,590 acres, but of this only 1,758,513 acres are permanent State forests. Under the heading of provisional State forests, there are 5,630,668 acres, and I think it should be one of the important works of the league to press for the demarcation of this great area and have the areas most suitable for timber permanently vested in the Forest Service. I understand that the service. is now on a paying basis, but' we cannot close ouv eyes to the fact that royalties have increased and freight is higher. The bulk of forest in the North Island now being worked is on the great central plateau, and, therefore, the railage is high, and the conditions of life in the present workings are such that only nigh wages will induce men to live there. As a result the price of timber has naturally risen, and great complaints are being made by the public at the prices now charged. This has brought about a great increase of imported building timber, and those at tho seaports get an advantage at the moment. Now that building has slackened off, the sawmillers are in many eases not outting timber, and the men are idle. This is a political matter which the league cannot deal with, but I mention it because the difficulty is present, and matters might be readjusted so as to encourage the use of New Zealand timber.”

COUNCIL’S REPORT. In reporting upon the activities of the league during the year, the council 'explained that their effort to get the Government to set aside the Auckland Islands as sanctuaries for flora and fauna had not been practicable owing to the leases not having expired. However, except for predatory seal-hunters, the islands were practically undisturbed, and, although rent was being paid, no use was being made of the islands, and there was little doubt that the •> leases would not be renewed on expiry. One member of the council had reported that steps had been taken to eliminate the goats and wild sheep on Kapiti Island. The young forest growth on this island was making good headway. Steps had been taken to prevent further destruction of the small remaining area of forest on Tiri Tiri Island. The Government had promised to have a report made upon the Buffer Lake reserve, in order to see if it was possible to have the reserve properly fenced so as to prevent stock from destroying this picturesque area, once the property of Sir Walter Buffer. It was satisfactory to report that no taxation whatever could be levied on standing timber. Tho league took up the position that the importation of Western red cedar, Japanese oak, hemlock and spruce should be discouraged in the interests of a high utilisation of our own forest products. Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, M.L.C., said that, having had charge of the department, he knew that the somewhat mournful note sounded by the chairman in his opening address was only too true. Sir James Wilson had rightly given the credit for putting forestry in New Zealand upon a proper footing to Sir Francis Bell. It had been hig good fortune to succeed Sir Francis Bell as Minister in charge of the Stato Forest Service, and he could pay a high tribute to the officers of the service. He could not tell them what policy the new Minister of Forestry was taking up, or what his plans were for the year. He advised them to keep in touch with the Minister, who would gladly talk matters over with them. The report and balance-sheet were Deans, of Canterbury, who is at present in England, was re-elected president unopposed. The following were elected members of the council : E. Phillips-Turner, A. Seed, E. V. Saunderson, L. M. Ellis, F. S. Pope, T. Ward. D. R. Hoggard, A. L. Hunt, R. W. Holmes and W. H. Denton.