FORESTRY EXTENSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20385, 14 October 1929, Page 13

FORESTRY EXTENSION.

REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENtf]

SCOPE IN THE OFF-SEASON.]

SPECIAL COMMITTEE'S VIEWS.

The expansion of the forestry industry throughout New Zealand ss a means .of solving the unemployment problem is suggested in the report of the Special Com* mittee set up by the Government to investigate the question. The report was tabled in the House of Representatives last week. In a lengthy statement of its claims for forestry as a form of employment likely to absorb those out of work and to become a profitable undertaking, the committee says that the industry appears lo be peculiarly suited to meeting the situation.

Several suggestions for the elimination of unemployment are contained in the report, which is the first of a series on the question to be submitted by the committee. Among the avenues which tho committee considers could bo explored with profit in isolving the problem are tho expansion of afforestation and' the fur industry, the employment of men on sand-dune reclamation in North Ajuefehmd and the provision of homes in tht country; for rural workers. I Discussing its proposals for increased afforestation work the committee\states that New Zealand, being mainly mary producing country, seasonal unemployment was probably more marked here than in most other countries/ The displacement of several thousand workers at the end of the season, with fine consequent loss to trade of their spendingpower, also aggravated the general problem of unemployment. Afforestation should be considered both as' a productive industry and as a form of relief work. It was at its period of greatest activity from May to October, when the primary industries were slackest. Tree-planting, $ apart from supervision, was comparatively unskilled work and therefore capable of being carried out by a large proportion of workers thrown out of employment by; seasonal causes. ■ jV

Money lor Paying Labour. If undertaken as a means of relieving unemployment during an abnormal period, the industry could be expanded or contracted at comparatively small cost. With the exception of the cost of the land and expenditure on the purchase of seeds, a very small item, the money spent on afforestation went entirely in the payment of labour. There were practically unlimited areas of Crown and other lands capable of bearing timber, but unsuitablo for agricultural or pastoral purposes. Although forestry work had not been adopted on a largo scale to cope with unemployment, a considerable amount of tree-planting had already been done in New Zealand by prison authorities, the State- Forest Service, local bodies and private companies and persons. During the 1928 planting season 427 workers were employed in planting by private companies and at least three times that number by the Stale Forest Service.

"Tree-planting by local authorities haa been so far almost negligible and has beefi mainly on water catchment areas," tha report states. "It seems desirable that greater attention should be given to treeplanting by local bodies, as if waste or low-value land is available in the vicinity of the larger towns and it were utilised for timber, the resulting product would find an available market without incurring heavy transport charges. The labour required would usually be available locally in the winter mpnths and the employment would be comparatively near to the men's homes." Assured Finance Necessary.

By far the greatest amount of afforestation work so far carried out had been undertaken by the State, which had planted 133,997 acres between 1896 and 1928, but if the industry were to be extended by the Government beyond, the present programme it was essential that immediate consideration should be given, to the question, as a considerable amount of preparatory work was necessary before actual planting could be commenced. To ensure economical continuity in these operations finance had to be assured, beforehand and not be "subject to "casual grants or political expediency. World authorities, had for some years past sounded a persistent note of warning as to a world-shortage of softwoods within a measureable period and it had been estimated that the natural timber iVpplies of the Dominion would be exhausted by 19613. It was further expected that exportable surpluses in Canada and the United States would disappear in 20 years. If this view were only partly true, the probability was that by the time the present plantations, and any further ones that might bo undertaken had matured for harvesting, the present importations of softwoods into New Zealand would have ceased and there would bo an export market at a remunerative price. On the other hand, this view was not altogether supported. It was not supported by the competent authorities in the Dominion's sawmilling industry, nor by the state of the industry, which had been in a depressed condition for some years.-Wood-pulp Manufacture.

The utilisation of soft timber, for the manufacture of wood-pulp was considered to be a sufficient warrant for the extension of afforestation. In addition to its use for paper-making, wood-pulp was continually being put to new uses. Timber of small diameter could be used for this purpose and instead of money being locked up in forests for many years an "earlier harvest would be possible. There was far loss waste, as every part of the timber, apart from the bark, was capable of being used. The Government might consider the establishment of this industry by means of subsidy or other methods, the committee suggests. It emphasises the importance of pulping plants being established close to the forests in order to curtail transport costs.