AHEAD OF AUSTRALIA

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12353, 25 January 1926, Page 6

AHEAD OF AUSTRALIA

NEW ZEALAND’S AFFORESTATION SIR DOUGLAS MAWSON IMPRESSED WARNING TO INVESTORS (By Telegraph.—Special to “Times.”) 1 ACCKLAND, January 23. After a two weeks’ tour of the North Island, during which he has investigated forestry prospects, Sir Douglas Mawson is returning to Aus tralia. He has been accompanied by Sir Herbert Matthews, an English agricultural expert, who is on a forestry mission to the Dominion, and by Professor H. H. Corbin, professor of forestry at ths Arc k]and University College. Sir Douglas Mawson is directly interested in one of tbe largest afforestation companies m New Zealand, and during his visit he lias l>een examining its operations. On his return to Svdnev he will report to the Australian shareholder! and others on the result of his investigation. With the advanced state of the afforestation movement in New Zealand Sir Douglas has been much impressed. The Dominion, he says, is more active in this direction than Australia, and the total area artificially planted exceeds the area ©o planted in all the States of the'Commonwealth together. Naturally-grown softwoods had almost disappeared in Australia-, although large areas of naturally-grown hardwoods still remained to he dealt with. There were very considerable areas m Australia that woalf make good softwood plantations. AH things considered, New Zealand was particularly fortunate; in fact, more so than Australia. With regard to the possibilities of timber production, almost any of the Waste lands of the North Island appeared to be useful for the growth of one or other species of softwoods. _ While on the subject of commercial afforestation, he uttered a. note c>f Warning to intending investors. The forestry movement was booming in New Zealand at present, and it was only to be expected that 6ome of the propositions put before the public would be weak. “Even the best kind of investment,” he said, “may fail through bad conception or bad management, and the public would do well to make careful inquiries into such propositions before committing themselves.” . The possibility of commercial afforestation’s defeating its own ends through over-planting is discountenanced by Sir Douglas Mawson. If all the poorer lands in the country were planted, he says, some such result might he expected, but it is expected that large quantities of timber will be marketed in the big centres such as Sydney and Melbourne, moreover, the abundance of water power in New Zealand is an important requirement for the production of wood pulp on a large scale, so it is not unlikely that a considerable portion of the Dominion’s timber yield- will in future be marketed as wood pulp and paper. Sir Douglas Mawson and Sir Herbert - Matthews motored 1200 miles during their North Island tour.' Sir Herbert Will proceed to Rotorua for a few days before returning to England.