A GOOD ORGANISATION.

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1921, Page 4

A GOOD ORGANISATION.

The Northern Wairoa Scenic Club is to be heartily congratulated upon the success which has crowned its efforts in connection with the acquirement by the State of the Trounson Kauri Park. The grandeur of this forest will speak for itself for generations and generations to come, and for the consummation of its efforts to secure this great natural asset the club is entitled to national gratitude. The park is for the people of New Zealand for all time, but the body responsible for bringing about its acquisition is a mere organisation of private citizens with a comparatively small membership. It was this club which successfully urged upon the State the necessity of acquiring this beauty spot for the people, and it is questionable whpther any similar club in New Zealand has accomplished so much.. No doubt the work was made easier than it might otherwise have been by the fact that the club had :> grand old gentleman like Mr Trounson to deal with. But the fact that he so generously offered this gift does not in the least detract from the efforts of the club. Assuredly the Northern Wairoa Scenic Club is worthy of widespread and liberal support. The acquirement of the Trounson Kauri Park is not the only piece of work that stands to its credit. Had it not been for the club's vigilance and insistence numerous young kauri rickers growing in abundance along the railway line from Kaihu to Donnelly's Crossing would have been covered up and destroyed by the debris from the corfstruction work. . The slogan of "hands off these rickers''' was enforced so vigorously that scores of these beautiful young trees have been preserved. The success achieved by the club in this matter and in connection with the new

I national park indicates that to it may be safely entrusted the task of preventing the wanton desecration of the thousand and one natural beauty spots which adorn the Northern Wairoa district. Already the club is endeavouring to have legislation passed prohibiting the cutting of bush on laryls which are unsuitable for the growtll of grass. We hope that its efforts will be instrumental in persuading Parliament to" enact laws which will make for the preservation of the remnant of New Zealand 's forests and wjll effectually deter the vandal who would unnecessarily destroy a tree. There is certainly ample scope for the activities of such a club I as that of the Northern Wairoa throughout the North, with its acres of idle and almost useless land. To our surprise Sir Edwin Mitchelson stated on Wednesday that the kauri, after twenty years of age, is a* quick-growing tree. Is there any reason why the land which bore this tree originally should not do so again? Is there any reason why some effort should nof be made to rehabilitate the forest on the areas that now produce nothing but fern and titree? Here is an opportunity for action on the part of our Northern Wairoa friends and of all the rest of us. It would be a fine thing for the North, and for the whole country if we could have a Northern Wairoa Scenic Club in every district.