THE WORLD’S TIMBER

Northern Advocate, 6 February 1926, Page 3

THE WORLD’S TIMBER

AN EARLY FAMINE PREDICTED NEW ZEALAND’S POTENTIALITIES. SIR DOUGLAS MAWSON’S VISIT. The first international forestry delegation to visit New Zealand on commercial affairs and enterprise has recently concluded its sittings. The president is Professor Sir Douglas Mawson, who is recognised as a world authority on geology, and who is professor of geology at Adelaide University and better known to fame by reason of his Antarctic expedition. Associated with him are Sir Herbert Matthews (secretary of the Central Council of Agriculture in Britain), and Professor H. Hugh Corbin, late of Adelaide and Edinburgh Universities and the first professor of forestry at the Auckland University College. In an independent capacity arc Mr. 11. Landon Smith, of the central directorate of Smith, Wylie and Company (Auckland), Mr. Douglas S. Wylie (managing director of the firm, who arc managers and brokers for the Now Zealand and Perpetual Forests, Ltd.), and Mr. W. J. Keyes (official secretary). * The increasing interest of the public in commercial forestation enterprise has attiaetcd widespread notice not only in the Dominion- of New Zealand but in Australia and throughout the British Empire. One private company is reputed to have sold bonds to the value of over £1,250,000. With the attention which has been devoted to the subject and witli the provision which has recently been made by the institution of The Australasian Forestry Bond Holders’ Trust, of which Sir Douglas Mawson is a trustee dircc-, tor, public confidence has increased, and what was at one time viewed as an unusual proposition is now recognised as a sound form of investment. Sir Douglas Mawson, in paying the Dominion a visit, appears in a dual capacity as a trustee director of an important trust company and ffs a joint advisor, with Sir Herbert Matthews, in reporting upon the forestry resources of New Zealand. Sir Douglas Mawson, however, has no financial interest in the forestry company for which the Australasian Forestry Bond Holders’ Trust Company acts as trustee under a special covenant. Sir Herbert Matthews, the second member of the delegation, is an acknowledged English authority upon agriculture, and will report to important 'British interests upon plantations which he inspected with othoV members of the party at Putaruru, Tokoroa, and Maraetai, where a certain private company, which has been brought prominently before investors throughout the British Empire, posses scs pumice land of about 100,000 acres, greatly to the literature of afforcstaProfessor H. Corbin has contributed tion, and has written several important brochures dealing with the subb jeet of vital inteicst to New Zealand, particularly in relation to the growth of essential exotic soft woods, for which there is a world-wide demand at the present moment, owing to the timber famine - which is disorganising important industries. Mr. H. V. Landon Smith and Mr. D. S. Wylie are independent members of the delegation. The party, in two ears, left Auckland on January 6, and journeyed to Putaruru and - thence to Ohoroire, which was established as headquarters for a careful survey of the Tokoroa estate and also of extensive properties at Maraetai. The party left Okoroire on January 8 for Wairakei, which was used as a base for an investigation of the State' forest plantations on the Kaingaroa Plains, and at Waiotapu. ‘Mr. Keyes vouchsafed some interesting information to an “Otago Daily Times” reporter last week. “The mission of the delegation has been entirely successful, ” he said, “and the eminent personages who compose the party were greatly surprised at the extent of forest interest in the Dominion. It is quite evident to me that the people of New. Zealand possess the forest sense and have pioneered a nation building enterprise which will establish New Zealand still more firmly in the British comity of. nations as a great timberproducing country. The world today, according to the most reputable authorities, is faced with a timber famine within the next 10 years. Indeed, it is quite, safe to say that the shortage of important timbers is so groat in certain countries—for instance, Australia—that the matter is viewed ns a serious national question.” “In the Commonwealth of Australia,” Mr. Keyes added, “certain selfish interests, forgetful of the people’s heritage of trees, have ruthlessly cut down the timber that should bo held in trust for posterity. Only quite recently the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr. S. M. Bruce) instituted a special inquiry into the terrible timber havoc wrought within the past 20 years. Selected timber, suitable for furniture making, interior decorating purposes, and such uses, has practically vanished, and the .huge importation from America of the various kinds of coniferous timber has reveal-' cd in a striking manner the destruction of Australia’s forests. Commercial afforestation is now generally re-, cognised as the only sane means of establishing a new forest grown on denuded lands. New Zealand is the first ' country in the World to take up afforestation in a comprehensive manner, and it is worthy of note that Sir James Parr is furthering the °cducation of children by providing for spe-

cial forestry tuition in the curriculum of the Stato schools of the Dominion. Since New Zealand has taken the lead in forestry matters and has given a striking example to the world, Britain, America, and other groat countries have also fallen into line in the campaign to safeguard one .of the greatest assets which any nation can possess.” Commenting upon America, Mr. Keyes said that America was in a very peculiar position. Vast timber interests, pulp mills, and paper-mak-ers needed timber especially such soft woods as spruce, hemlock, and various pine suitable for pulping in quantities, beyond the complete comprehension of the human mind, but America had failed until quite recently to realise its serious position owing to the fact that it possessed a remarkable transport system which enabled timber exploiters to cut one area in a far distant portion of the country and rapidly turn attention to removing enormous quantities from another portion. “America is losing its timber on every side,” he said, “and selfish interests, thinking only of pecuniary gain, have obstructed commercial afforestation and the protective influence of afforestation supporters because it has impeded their efforts to destroy valuable timber. “Referring to Britain, the speaker said that within recent months afforestation had boon discussed in the Commons particularly in reference to the findings of a British Forestry Commission which attracted attention to the loss of timber in the British Isles. This Commission remarked on the fact that the Empire would depend on certain portions of the dominions for the timber supplies in the not distant future. This position had been brought under notice owing to the expression of opinion by world authorities upon the timber famine in America and other countries.

The delegation concluded its sittings in Wellington on January 13, and Sir Douglas Mawson and his party left for Auckland by car. Sir Douglas Mawson and Sir Herbert Matthews will proceed to Sydney, and Sir Herbert Matthews will return to England via South Africa at an early date. Mr. Keyes has been in Dunedin since Friday. The purpose of his visit is to acquire additional information concerning afforestation in the South Island. Ho will leave for Christchurch on Fridav.