SAVING BUSH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22671, 8 March 1937, Page 13

SAVING BUSH

NATIONAL conference CO-ORDINATED EFFORT beautifying highways 10RD OAIWAY'S interest [ e t telegraph —phess association] AVELLIXGTOX, Sunday \ further «tage lias been reached in flip plans (.; the Government to obtain unification of effort to preserve the Dominion's native bush and for the highways. The Minister flf Internal Affairs, tlie Hon. W. E. Parry, stated on Saturday that the national conference embracing all interests which 'had to deal with the matter, which had been in prospect f nr some time, would take place at Parliament Buildings on April 2. The Governor-General, Viscount Galwav, voiilcl preside.

" I am hopeful that ns tho result of this conference," said Mr. Parry, "we will be able to establish a national advisory council whose objects will be to co-ordinate the work of the existorganisations throughout the Dominion, to stimulate the formation of others, and generally to be a body through which tho necessary work of propaganda, education and expert advice can be carried on permanently."

Neglected Opportunities The Minister said that the conference was the outcome of the great interest the Governor-General had shown in matters of tree planting and conservation. Some months ago Lord Galwav had approached him expressing the great concern of both Her Excellency and himself not only at the rate at which the native bush in various parts of Xe« - Zealand was disappearing, but also at the opportunities that seemed to be neglected in many parts of reclothing hillsides and generally beautifying waste lands along main highways and the approaches to settled areas. " As the result of several conversations with His Excellency," Mr. Parry said, " I convened before Christmas an inter-departmental committee. That committee held several meetings and formulated certain proposals which have been approved by the Government and which I shall bring before the conference. . * Scope of Conference

" Invitations to attend the conference will be sent to representative Dominion "bodies m any way concerned with conservation and tree planting, of which there are quite a number. I have had a list prepared showing, so far as they are ascertainable, all organisations in New Zealand dealing with these matters. I' regret very much that it will not be possible to extend an individual invitation to each one of them. It will be necessary, apart from the Dominion bodies, to "select a comparatively few whose sphere,of operations may be considered almost provincial. At the same time, representatives of any of those smaller bodies accredited by letter to me will be welcomed at the conference. " In any case. I hope all these various small local organisations, whether represented at the conference or not, will throw in their weight with whatever national organisation is set up as a result of the conference."