TIMBER ROYALTIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19239, 1 August 1924, Page 7

TIMBER ROYALTIES.

COUNTY COUNCIL CLAIM, ' DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS. (Pus United Poess Association.) WELLINGTON, July SL The question of timber royalties tor th* maintenance of county roads was the subject of a deputation to members of the Government this morning. Some 34 county councils were represented, and 30. members of Parliament were associated with the deputation. The deputation .was received by Sir Francis Bell, in the absence of Mr Massey, and other Ministers present were Sir S. Heaton Rhodes and the Hon. A. D. M’Leod. , The point of view of the local bodies was that ever since 1905, when the Act regarding royalties going to local bodies for road maintenance was passed, the local bodies had considered that they had a claim to royalties, which many of them had been unable to get. The deputation desired that local bodies should be paid back royalties. It was also asked that an advisory board should be set up, as provided in the Forestry Act, 1921., , many portions of New Zealand where there was heavy timber country land was said not to be as valuable as in other parte} consequently when timber was removed th* local bodies could not collect rates sufte. cient to maintain the roads. If the royalties were not forthcoming local bodies would have to fail bock on the Consolidated Fund. . Sir Francis Bell, in replying, said that Cabinet had not yet considered the report of the Timber Royalties Commission, and when doing so it would be of groat advantage to have before it the oritioism Of local bodies. Those bodies would have just as full consideration as the report, of the commission. The question was a diffioult one, but, speaking us a former Commissioner of State Forests, he asked them to remember that it was a matter for the Treasury entirely, because the revenue derived from State forests now passed into the Treasury. With regard to the revenue derived from the forests by the legitimate operations of the Forestry Department, he said that the counties should have a portion of it They must not regard it. os a fact that the State forest policy was itself, in effect depriving the local authorities of revenue, except to a minor extent. Ths matter would be considered fully .when Cabinet came to deal with the question as to how the revenue derived from fhe department’s operations was to be disposed of.