ROYALTIES ON TIMBER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18460, 25 July 1923, Page 11

ROYALTIES ON TIMBER.

. LOCAL, BODIES' , CLAIM. / MAINTENANCE '■ OF ROADS; : fBJ: ' TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ', ASSOCIATION.*] i TAUMARUNTJI. Tuesday - The :-, : Timber Royalties Commission ~ is sitting at Taiimarunui. Evidence was given to-day by "the chairman" of the Taumarunui, Kaiticke, and . Ohura ; County Councils'.'•':' - ' v "

, The Taumarunui County chairman estimated his county required £365,000 .for metalling . roads.: . This '. work was : . of national importance, and \ should , not be a burden ; to the. settlers, who ' were'-/trying' to transform waste lands • into > productive farms'. He contended that one-half of the revenue, derived from the, sale [of timber, both on Crown and . State forest lands, should' be paid to the local body. ■/ . A 'councillor stated that 'as State reservation would 1 retard , development they were entitled to royalties on : timber. The county clerk; of Kaitieke stated that his -county, 'had been* operating 15 years, and; had not received one penny from timber royalties, whereas the • Government had drawn" £50,000 in royalties from this district. They had applied .for royalties, but 'their claim always * had; been denied on the ground that royalty had '■ been paid on a lump sum basis. They had been denied on account; of the North. Island Main Trunk Act, 1899. This Act, was repealed in 1912, and proceeds from the land were diverted to the Public Works Fund. Counties claimed ■th&t the law had been brought in to give ; them back their royalties. • v ■.-; '■_-•"'• • Evidence of ex-chairmen of counties and others, was also taken. '

Roderick Campbell, conservator of forests at: Auckland, stated in ; evidence that as -the result of the passing of the Forests Act local bodies had not lost anything, as they were not entitled to timber royalties.; Local bodies ha:l, not been receiving royalties for ten years/ and must depend on. grants for maintaining roads. He: pointed out the beneficial effects of forests 'for v water supplies. Provision, should bo made : against damage to roads by making ; a levy or "toll, according to the class of . roads, and this should be made uniform : throughout the Dominion. There had been a lot of mistakes in the past over not reserving forest areas, and they had now got back to. the last ranges. 'One more mistake would be fatal. If the Forest Service lost revenue from royalties it would be in a ;worse position than local bodies. ■-.''. :', :.v•"-.,. ;'' .'•,!■!■'■=;" : . ~;: '■ . •''■ ;■ The commission left for Marton after completing evidence here. : ' , '