THE WASTEFUL DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3686, 27 November 1873, Page 7

THE WASTEFUL DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS.

:At a meeting-of the OtagO"Wai3te Lands Board on tlie 30th. ult.,.the following letter, forw^arded. to the Board \by -the Provinciai Government;, was read!: —

, .-■ ~• Colonial 3ecr ; etary'a Office, Wellington, Ocfcoljer 15th,: 1873. Sis Honour the Superintendent,,of Otago. "^Sir —I have the honour to inform you that the following report-was brought up! by the Committee on Colonial Industries andadopted bythe House of "Representatives | during the recent 86B^n;o£''P'ai-liam'£ntp'viz.''

"ThattHe Goyerninent should invite the various Provinciai Governraents to consider how, best to preven| the. wa|iteful destruction of^i^eifbrcsts of toe 1 Colony, _andj:to; supply statistics and recommendations for the consideration of' Parliament." '

I should; therefore,'' feel obliged !if your Honour would be!|»ood enough to furnish me with auggestions and recommendations, with regard'tothe Province of Qtago, in, order that' * feport may be cempiled for presentation toTarliabent;nextsesßi6n.-:--I am, &c, %'..[ Danibl 'Pollbn, Colonial.Secretary.

In the discussion,, that ensued, jseveral oltheipaeinb.era.of jthej;Board bore testimony to the great waste of the bush now going on in the Province, the Kaw]millera being the chief offenders. Strode ex- • pressed-it 1 -as-his opinion!fthat the only way to1 save ;the bush' 'from .wa steful destractapn virasto sell the land as speedily as possible. . The Chief Commissioner (Mr J. -T... Thtoiason) thought the new system adopted by the Government of giving £4tfor every acre1 of private land planted with forest, .trees, would; prove beneficial. £10 ah acre would* not be too much. Ultimately it waa resolved that the variouß.lvangera should be requested to furnish reports upon the forests in their districts'j; Jail schedule of questions to be drawn up by the Chief Cbmmii*sioner. ■ •

In accordance (With this resolution, the Chief Commissioner drew up a letter to 'the different Rangers oh the subject. This letter, which was read at a meeting of the Waste Lands Board held on the 13th inst., ran as'follows : — " ' ;

Waste Lands Board Office, .;, /■■■:, Dunedin;.Noveinber;3,lß73. Sir—The Colonial. Government .having invited suggestions aiid'recomtneridaiiona how best to, prevent.; the wasteful.. destruction of the forests of the Colony, I have the-honour to. Truest'you to report on the bush reserves in the districts under your charge,[and to answer a* nearly as you can the following queries ':—(l.) 'Furnish-list of bushes ;m your district, with acreages ; (2) state the acreage that is private, and the acreage that is public; (3) atate the acreage that has been destroyed in private and public bushes ; (4) state the number i of saw-mills at work, and their horae-power; (5) state, the number of sawyers at work ; (6) give the amount J of revenue paid by each,, class; (7) state, the causes of the destruction of bush;' (8) state if any has been-replaced by new growth or artificial planting.; (9) state the acreage of artificial planting in "private and ■ public land; (10) state any known effect to climate or drainage by clearing the bush, grasses, or other vegetation ; (11) state the number of .years' supply yet remaining, the various purposes to which timber is applied'; such as fencing, firing, house-building, public works, &c. ; (12) give your^opmion as to the necessity or otherwise of taking measures to protect bush; (13) if you think it should be protected, state how this could best be done without injury to the -current wants of the population; (14) give your opinion br the best way to encourage artificial planting on private and . public land, and the kind of trees you would recommend, as you have seen in your district; (15) state in what portion of yonr district timber is most required; (16) give area of your district in acres.—l am, &c., J. T. Thomson, Chief Commissioner,