THE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18050, 25 September 1920, Page 8

THE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY.

That the Government is moving in the right direction in its decision to establish a School of Forestry in New Zealand is liot open to question. It is called upon to do its part " in tha foundation of a stable forest policy for the Empire," to quote from one of the recommendations of the recent British Empire Forestry Conference. The Conference laid it down that "it should he a primary duty of forest authorities throughout the Empiro to establish systematic schemes of forestry education." So if forestry is to receive i'a the dominion the attention which the importance of the conservation of the timber supply warrants, the sooner a School of Forestry is established the better. It is the announced intention

of the Government to establish such £ school at an early date in connection with one of the University Colleges. Tho Empire Conference recommended with respect to the United Kingdom not only tho establishment of a training institution for forest officers, which would include a department of research, but that encouragement should be given to the existing provision made by universities and colleges for forestry instruction for those not desirous of taking the courses suggested for the forestry services. No doubt the proposal to associate a dominion School of Forestry with ono of the university colleges will solve most satisfactorily the educational requirements of this country in tho direction aimed at. But it opens up a question over which some anxiety has J already been manifested, namely the question of which University Collco shall bo selected. The Minister of Education has given specific assurance that the claims of each college will have tho careful consideration of tho two (departments concerned—Education and Forestry. His colleague, Mr Guthrie, has promised that due attention will be given to the resolutions passed in various districts on the subject of tho location of the School of Forestry. So far the conflict of claims lies particularly between Auckland and Canterbury Colleges, the governing bodies of which seem both prepared and eager to undertake the necessary teaching. On behalf of Auckland College a "premier claim" has been asserted in Parliament. That sort of thing is generally attended to with great promptitude by representatives of the northern, province. But the claims of Auckland in this matter do not command any " splendid isolation." There are forests elsewhere than in the north, and also university colleges. The South Island is justified in lifting up its voice once more. Mr Holland's remarks in the House this week with reference to the feeling on the subject among the people on the West Coast, and their reasons for desiring to see the Forestry School attached to Canterbury College, were quite to the point. The Canterbury Progress League, we note, has taken the matter up with zeal, and sets forth very effectively the grounds upon which it considers that the Forestry School should be located in Canterbury. These are by no means unimpressive.- First and foremost is the recommendation of the new Director of Forestry that the school should be connected with Canterbury College. Then there is the fact that this college rejoices in a beqaest of valuable plantations on the Canterbury Plains, together with a considerable fund as an endowment for a School of Forestry. In these plantations the college possesses, it is urged, the embodied experience of forty years' experiments in tree-growing, and " thus nas advantages that are not possessed and cannot be gained for many years, by any other university centre." It is pointed out, further, that in its extensive reserves Canterbury College has abundant areas offering unequalled facilities for forestry experiments: that it maintains a mountain biological station, already available for stadents in forestry, in close proximity to extensive beech forests and within easy reach of the great forests of Westland; and that its possession of a School of Engineering means that certain classes are already provided ssitable for the purposes of forestry. In short it is claimed that, generally speaking, no other part of the dominion combines so many facilities as Canterbury for the study of forestry in all its phases—from afforestation with exotic trees under many and varied conditions to the scientific working of the great indigenous forests of the West Coast and North Canterbury. Undoubtedly a strong case is made out in. support of the allocation of the Forestry School to Canterbury College. We need only say, for our own part, that we desire to see the school established at the most appropriate and utilitarian centre for such a purpose. It is unfortunate that there should be evidence of provincial rivalry in this matter, but what is incumbent on the Government is to judge with absolute impartiality as to the merits of the claims of the University Colleges interested. The onus is upon the Government to see that the Forestry School is situated where it will best flourish and serve the interests of the dominion. And in the circumstances groat weight must attach to the opinion and advice of its forestry expert in this matter.