FOREST RESERVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20673, 19 September 1930, Page 15

FOREST RESERVES.

WITHDRAWAL OF AREAS. NATURE OF THE LAND. SUITABILITY FOR SETTLEMENT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] "WELLINGTON, Thursday. "I should say this established n record in llio withdrawal of land from State forest reservation," said the Leader of the Opposition, (ho Rt. Hon. 3, G. Coates, in the House to-day, when 17 resolutions on the subject were moved by the ActingPrime Minister, the Hon. E. A.. Ransom. Tho aggregate area of land affected was 8402 acres. Mr. Coates asked what was the real object of the proposal Was it that the land involved was deemed to bo more suitable for settlement than for forestry ? If that were so, the right course was being followed, but some explanation should be given. The Minister Of Public Works, the Hon. W. B. Taverner: A lot of it should never liavo been included in State forest reservation. Land in Small Areas. Mr." Taverner, who was until recently Commissioner of State Forests, said about 8000 acres had been similarly released last year. Most of the areas were small and were of no use for afforestation purposes, being marginal lands which could bo well adapted to settlement in small areas. He had been impelled to observe last yepr that a great deal of land had been tied up in New Zealand as State forest reserves which should not have been so dealt with. Jn one way no harm had been done, as the land was still available for settlement. Members need not be apprehensive as to the working out of the policy of releasing soma areas for settlement. Furthermore, when it was desired to acquire new land for afforestation, an examination was made to determine whether the land was below a certain productive capacity. If it were moro profitable for other purposes, tho land was not taken for trees. Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour —Christcluirch South), referring to one area of 1975 acres in the Pakiri survey district, North Auckland, said he imagined that area bordered on the gum country, and if so it would be a pity to put people there to struggle as farmers when the land could bo more profitably used for planting kauri trees. lie had been told there was some land in that district which would return only 10s an acre for dairying, but would produce £lO an acre if kauri trees were grown there. Africa seemed to bo cultivating the kauri, while New Zealand was leaving off. Waihi District Lands. Mr. A. M. Samuel (Reform —Thames) said there were several small areas in the Waihi district which were suitable for dairy production, and he would like an indication that they would be withdrawn from afforestation reservation. Mr. Ransom, who is Commissioner of State Forests, said the whole idea underlying the withdrawal of the reservations was that tho land should be thrown open for settlement. Many of the withdrawals were being made in order that farmers could improve their frontage boundaries or take in land that was a menace to them. Areas which remained unoccupied for any length of time became a menace to surrounding property, in that they became overgrown with noxious weeds and over-run with rabbits. The Minister of Public Works, who was previously Commissioner of State Forests, had said there were many areas which could be thrown open for development, and ho was in agreement with this. The House agreed to the resolutions. SHIPPING OF PRODUCE. CLAIMS OF WANGANUI. " A RIDICULOUS ANOMALY." [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. A reference to the "drastic centralisation policy" of the Dairy Produce Control Board was made by Mr. J. T. Hogan (Independent'—Rangitikei) in the House of Representatives to-day, when he referred to tho fact that some dairy produce was refused by tho board for shipment by the lonic at. Wanganui, and had to be transferred to Wellington for shipment there. He asked the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. A. J. Murdoch, if he thought it wise to allow the board this power. Mr. Murdoch said the question was really a matter more for tho board than for the Minister. The chairman of tho board had stated that it was not the board which was responsible, but the shipping company, which insisted on a condition in tho contract that Wanganui should not bo a port of loading. It was an anomalous position, seeing that at present tho lonic was in the Wanganui roadstead and had accepted meat and a certain quantity of butter, and at the same time had refused to accept tho balance of butter. The Minister said he intended to have an interview with the shipping company to see if this ridiculous anomaly could bo, rectified.