STATE FOREST SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18173, 19 August 1922, Page 10

STATE FOREST SERVICE.

INCREASE IN REVENUE. DOMINION'S FUTURE NEEDS. POSSIBILITIES OF WESTLAND. t»X TKUCGBAPH.-—SPECIAL KBPOKTEK.] WELLINGTON. Friday. The State Forest Service report states that tho forest revenue for the year which ended last March was £31,000, the largest amount since the year 1912 and in the face of a steadily shrinking domestic and export timber market. This sale revenue, which is 263 per cent, greater than that of the year 1920, was largely due te tho introduction of a progressive timber sale policy, increased supervision and a closer control over royalties,- return timber, trespass and theft. In the prevention of forest fires oin itnd contiguous to tho public foresUs definite result* were obtained through the operation of fire patrolmen, educational propaganda, and by the development of settler and fanner co-operation. The forest fire season from October to April was. fortuuately a wet one. The records showed the actual (destruction of 5200 acres of woodland valued at £4010. j The Government has been amply repaid for its initiation of a forest extension scheme in the farming communities. In both islands the results of the efforts of its two field experts by lecture, demonstration, and advice are evident. On comparing the two years' deliveries of trees and seeds from State nurseries nearly twice as many trees (about 900.000) were disposed of to farmers and private tree planters during the year and almost twice as many pounds of seeds were disposed of in 1921-22 as in th* previous year. The rapid exhaustion of standing timber resources in certain well-known producing regions is being emphatically brought to tha notice of the consuming public by scarcity of supplies and high prices during a time of stress. The investigation!* of floods erosion andl the extension of barren wastes made by the service during *he year indicate that within five years at least 30 sawmills in the King Country .will have permanently closed and that within 15 years this Main Trunk-Ohakune district will have ceased to provide more than local timber supplies. The centre of timber production is moving to Westland, and the year just closed is noteworthy for a marked ' increase in potential milling capacity m that district. It now totals 100 000.000 superficial feet per arinuan. Westland, in conjunction with Southland, will shortly be able to provide for the general national needs. FREEHOLD IN TAUMARUNUI. FINANCING THE CHANGE. GOVERNMENT NO MONEY. [BT XELECJIASH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. From a statement made by the Minister for Native Affairs, Hon. J. G. Coates, today it appears that the Government i.» not at present in a. position to finance the purchase of native interests in the town of Taumarunui. Legislation was passed some time ago to enable the European tenants to acquire the freehold from the native owners through the Native Land Purchase Board on terms which would spread the payment over 19 years. The Minister stated! to-day that if the Government undertook to finance the purchase of the Taumarunui' lands it-"would have to find the sum of £123,000 for the purpose, and it could not do so. Tho provisions of the law had been found to have a general application and if the procedure laid down by it was followed the amount of money to be found would be exceedingly large. He suggested that in Taumarunui the lessees should follow ihe same procedure as had been followed on the West Coast. They should make their own arrangements about the purchase money and negotiate for the freehold, subject to the approval of the Native Land Purchase Board

PIGEON-SHOOTING. A BID FOR ABOLITION. HON. G. M. THOMSON'S BILL. JBX TKLI!G»APK.~SP«CI/4> BEPOBIBR-J WELLINGTON. Friday. The cruelty of destroying for spjort tame animals and birds was stressed by the Hon. G. M. Thomson, in moving the> second reading of the Animals Protection and Game Amendment Bill, in the Legislative Council. The Bill, Mr. Thomson explained, sought to prohibit the shooting 8 of liv£ pigeons released from traps. This was a survival of barbarous sports such as bull baiting, badger baiting, cock fighting, and putting rats and terriers into pit& The hounding of deer whose borno had been padded was another Cruel sport which the speaker had personally witnessed. The Hon. W. E. Collins, while not opposing the Bill, said there appeared to be no more cruelty in Bhooting pigeons or sparrows from traps than in wringing a fowl's neck. The Hon. G. J- Garland supported the Bill. Wild game, he said, had a much better chance for their lives than tame birds penned in boxes and suddenly released. Sir William Fraser opposed the Bill. The cruelty of shooting at birds from traps was less than in open shooting. This looked like the first step toward preventing all sport. The Bill was read a second time and the third reading was set down for the next sitting. DESTRUCTION BY DEER. INQUIRIES IN PROGRESS. [BY. TSLSORXPK.— SPECIAL BEPOfiTlffi.] WELLINGTON. Friday. In reply to a question in the Legislative Council asked by the Hon. J. P. Camnbell it was stated by Sir William Fraser that the Government was aware that in some localities deer were damaging the crops, plantation trees, and indigenous trees % Full investigations were being made and when the information was complete plans would be formulated to Ideal with the trouble. The forest conservators at Whakarewarewa and Tapanui had authority to destroy deer in ibeir plantation areas. The depredations of deer are complained of in a petition presented to the House. The petitioners are settlers in the Papatotara, Otahu, and Tuatapere districts, and they ask that the protection of deer be removed in the vicinity of these settled areas. The reason given for the request is that the settlers are annuallv suffering great loss to crops and stock by deer, which, they state, are becoming more, and more numerous. Thev assert thatiif th« restrictions are not removed it Will only be a matter of a few years when the laud will no longer pay to