GUM-LEAF BAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 175, 25 June 1926, Page 10

GUM-LEAF BAND

PLAYS FOR GOVERNOR. FOREST INSPECTION. SYDNEY, June 16. Trees—millions of them —a giant’s causeway of young wood, towered ovejr the Governor and the Minister ■ for Lands to-day as they strolled through the forest zone of the north coast. Pines like green dripping candelabra locked their boughs overhead. The blackbutt scraped its leaves together in respectful silence. Gum trees of every size and colour shouldered out the sun. Through it all wandered the Governor’s party. This comprised, besides Sir Dudley de Chair, Mr Loughlin, Minister for Lands; Captain Cooto and Mr Penfold, aides-de-camp; Mr Dalrymple Hay, chief of the Forestry Department; and Mr Roberts, Ministerial secretary. The party is on a tour of inspection of the wonderful timber kingdoms of the north. Yesterday it visited Kiwarrack and Tuncurry forest schemes. To-day it set out for Coopernook and Lansdowne forests. On the road to Kiwarrack yesterday a picturesque gathering was encountered at the Purfleet mission camp. Here at the roadside an army of 20 aborigines waited for the Governor’s motor car, waving flags. As Sir Dudley approached a native jazz band burst into the National Anthem, playing on gum leaves. A RECITAL. After this it gave a recital, producing a disturbing yet not unpleasant musical effect by blowing on gumleaves. Indeed, if this band could be placed in a theatre it would cause a sensation. It completely outbuzzes the saxophone, and reduces the oboe to the rank of a tin whistle. The black musicians played,tenderly and very solemnly, visibly affecting many spectators. The party next beat its way by motor cars into the heart of the 29,000 acres of the Kiwarrack scheme. Here it .was met by two foresters, who appeared on horseback from behind the gum poles, rather in the manner of Robin Hood. The scheme .in this area is to cultivate thousands of yoiing, straight saplings by destroying the older trees. These corpses overshadow the landscape of grey perpendiculars. Their dead timber is scaly and gaunt. But under their stark fingers an army of proud young giants is sprouting. The party went on to the Tuncurry forest, with which is associated the Tuncurry Prison Camp. This, is an admirablo scheme of treatment'for the better class of prisoners, giving them interesting work out of doors. The Governor was greatly interested in the nursery plots of grey sand, where baby pines are nurtured from the first tiny green candle to a tree, sturdy enough to be transplanted.

THE PRISON CAMP. Convicts in grey shirts and trousers and straw sailor hats tend this work lovingly, and also work in the fields, planting trees in thick sprinklings, with gaps of fire breaks. The thicker they are planted the straighter and taller they grow. When matured in 12 years these pines are worth up to £4 each. One hundred can be planted to the acre. Prisoners, many of them long-sentence and former professional men, live in a model settlement. There are no cages or bars here. Each man has his own hut, facing a square, with a flagpole in the middle. These huts, decorated inside by the occupants, have no other fastening than one small padlock, and • the windows are not even barred. It is an honour system which is quickly reaping results. When men are liberated they can obtain posts with the Forestry Department.