WHITE PINE FORESTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9692, 21 June 1917, Page 11

WHITE PINE FORESTS

CONSERVATION NECESSARY. From Our Special Reporter. PALAIERSTON N., June 20. A matter of considerable importance to the" dairy industry discussed at the annual meeting of the National Dairy Association at Palmerston yesterday was the conservation by the Government of white pine forests in the Dominion. This, with the future restriction of white pine exports, was strongly advocated as being in the interest of the daily industry. Mr Harding (Northern Wairoa) said it was manifest that if the present decrease in the supply continued they were up against having no supply in seven or eight years’ time. There was an enormous export to Australia of white pine, and there was the point that if this export were prohibited Australia would probably retaliate. Dairymen bad to convince the Government that restriction of export was necessary. A number of contracts were in exchange for the export to Australia and steps should be taken to prevent any fresh contracts being entered into. The mills also should he made to conserve the supply of the timber. Another speaker said that one hundred million feet of timber was produced yearly. Only a quarter of this was used in the Dominion ,and the remainder was exported to Australia. Steps should he taken to replenish the New Zealand forests. Experiments should be carried out in the direction of economising in the use of white pine._ A member from Northern Wairoa said that in his district four mills were going at full pressure cutting up white pine for Australia. In conversation with one of these mill owners he had been told that further north was an area of about nine million feet of the timber. The owner was going to compete for this, and if it did fall into their hands then not an inch would go to the Dominion. A motion on the lines proposed was carried asking the Government to conserve the supply of white pane and restrict its export.