FOREST CONSERVATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10634, 6 July 1920, Page 5

FOREST CONSERVATION

TIMBER WORKERS' VIEWS

REPRESENTATIVE DEPUTATION TO SIR FRANCIS BELL.

The question of reafforestation was referred to by a New Zealand ’limber Workers’ Federation deputation which waited yesterday afternoon upon Sir William Henries and Sir Francis Bell (Ministers for Labour and for Forestry, respectively). Mr E. Phelan (Auckland) urged the time had now come when the whole population of New’ Zealand should he seriously considering the reafforestation problem. The Dominion’s available resources, he declared, were rapidly becoming exhausted, for there was not sufficient timber in tffo country to meet our requirement!? for more than ten to fifteen years ahead. Tho Government was tackling the matter of planting; but it would be necessary also, he urged,~to do something to conserve the forests at present existing There was at present too much private enterprise—too much contract system; and, in his opinion, the time had-arrived when the Government should take over practically the whole control of the timber" industry. Ho welcomed the creation of the Forest , Department, which required to be tree from all political influence, and also from any pull on the part of either Capital or Labour. Inspectors should be appointed at oilce in order to see that the bush was worked as it ghpula he worked, and that there was no waste at the mills. The present system was to take the nearest tree. It a tree fell into a gully, and it w’ould cost a little money to got it out, it was allowed to lie. It was essential, he contended, that as much ag possible of the log should he utilised—as mucll as possible kept off the sawdust ai\d slab hcaos. Inspectors could do good work by seeing that the whole of the timber was taken, out of the ousn and tlie whole of ever}’ log milled, in this way, some of the millions of tcet of timber at present wasted would be put to proper use. “ROBBING THE PUBLIC.” Air T. Turley-(Westland) drew attention to a recent grant of 10,009 acres of bush to a private • syndicate, stigmatising the transaction robbing the public of its property.” Tho workers, he stated, would fight the efforts of this syndicate to rnen its bush, by declaring every miil‘ r in the area “black.” The promoters, he alleged, bad “got the warden’s ear,” and so secured tho grant. That was not a fair thing. THE AIINISTER’S REPLY.

Sir Francis Bell, in reply, said that he had never been so pleased to be present at a deputation as on that occasion. Air Phelan had given voice to exactly what the Government had been fighting for. What amazed him was that, when he had visited the West Coast and advocated what the deputation now proposed, ho had every soul on the Coast against him. Tho watersiders had opposed him as strongly as any, since he proposed to prohibit tho export of timber. How they could conserve timber for the people of Now Zealand and yet allow it to bo exported, he could not understand. He agreed that tho powers ot tho wardens must bo curtailed if tho forests were to be conserved. But, again, there had been very great objection on the West Coast to the proclamation of provisional State forests, by which control was taken out of the hands of the wardens. It was only right that largo areas of timber should not bo allotted without the consent of the Alinistor. Actual reafforestation was a very small part of tho forest-control business. Conservation of tho existing forests was the main item. At Waiotapu, the Government had planted an area of 37,000 acres; which, he understood, wan the largest plantation in tho ivorld. But there were hundreds of acres of growing native forests. The conservation of these, apd tho cutting out of ripe timber, was the policy which the Alasscy Government had instituted, together w’ith planting, of course, and tho prohibition of the use of our timber exceptby the people of New Zealand. Ho agreed that inspectors could do good work in seeing that private companies milled their timber to the best advantage, but tho millers who had rights *already granted to them did not like having their rights interfered w’ith.

Air PHelan; The Government can do it. Sir Francis Bell: I don’t think it can. But wo are making that a condition of any new licenses issued now. Air Phelan said that that only applied to cutting the timber in the bush. In many mille the logs were not sawn to the best advantage. The Alinistcr • said that hq would take a note of that ppint.