STATE FOREST SERVICE

Northern Advocate, 19 March 1929, Page 5

STATE FOREST SERVICE

MINISTER'S ADDRESS TO OFFICERS.

POLICY OF CO-OPERATION,

(Per Press Association. —Copyright.)

WELLINGTON, This Day,

Addressing the executive officers of the State Forest /Service, - in conference, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, Minister of the Department, remarked that, while giving full credit to the service for the remarkable results, which had been achieved, it was his intention to inaugurate a poßey of closer co-opera-tion between the Departments of lands, Agriculture and Forestry, which would have for it's object a definite scheme of demarcation and utilisation with regard to the different areas. The Government desired that every possible effort /should be made to increase primary production, and he trusted they would shortly be in a position to give details of a land policy which would enable increased settlement on small holdings. This would, however, involve a comprehensive classification as between lands suitable for agriculture and pastoral (pursuits and forestry. The State Forest Service would, therefore, confine its future activities to areas which were ; not suitable for settlement. The financial aspects of the activities of this service were under consideration by the Government which was anxious to do its utmost to promote forestry within funds available, but. in view of the present conidition of the finances and the necessity for devoting large sums to agricultural finances, full justification of every section of the funds appropriated for forestry purposes would be essential.

RECORD PLANTING. • ‘BIG- PROGRAMME AHEAD, . (Per Press Association.—Copyright.) •■WELLINGTON; This Day. Mr. Turner, Director of the iStalo Forest Service, statels that the service lias .made a-record 'for the British Empire -by afforestating during this year the huge total of 50,000 acres, which surpasses South Africa (where they have cheap labour) by 15,000 acres. The Service, would not,, of course, have got the requisite finance for this work except by reason of the fact that it was able to take a large part in the relief of unemployment. The 'Objective for the coming winter would be only about 47,000 acres, but this was a- big programme which would require great efforts.