STATE FORESTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10137, 27 November 1918, Page 6

STATE FORESTS

.£200.000 LOAN PEOPOSED. , T.ho Government proposes that the State forests shall henceforth be managed and controlled bv a separate Minister, with tb© special duty of utilising them for the supply to the Dominion of timber from trees rip® f° r cutting, coupled with careful protection from destruction of all growing trees. By this means in other countries lands have been con-, •llinuously preserved under forest, and are annually yielding revenue from the trees which gradually in each series of years 'become fit for timber purposes. It will be advisable in certain areas to establish State sawmills to give full effect to this policy, notably in the case of the Waipoua State "Kauri Forest, and also in areas reserved for railway supplies. . . . All loan authorities and grants from the Consolidated Fund for forest purposes are now exhausted, and the forestry branch of the Lands Department is not only without funds, but has been compelled to encroach upon the vote for other lands purposes to prevent the closing-down of the various plantations. I propose that authority bo granted this session for a new loan of £200,000 to provide funds for forestry and afforestation purposes for a considerable period. Eevenue can only be bo derived from milling licenses and sales of timber, and it i« obviously undesirable at present to seek increased revenue from those sources. The grant proposed from the Consolidated Fund for this year will be the same as voted in the year 1917-18 via.. £SOOO. During the five years ended March 31st, 1918, the sum of £24.250 was transferred from the Consolidated Fund (lands and survey vote) to supplement State forest funds, and during this year £OOOO has been so transferred owing to the loan authority having become exhausted., ,