IMPORTANCE OF FORESTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20316, 26 January 1928, Page 9

IMPORTANCE OF FORESTRY.

AN EMPIRE CONFERENCE. SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION OUTLINED. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, January 25. Subjects of vital importance to the forestry future of the Empire are listed for consideration and debate at the Empire Conference to be held in Australia and New Zealand in September next. An outline of the principal business to come before the conference was given by the Commissioner of State Forests (Mr U. J. Hawken) tp-day. . , The Minister explained that the Hist Empire Forestry Conference was held in Great Britain in 1920 and the second m Canada in 1923. Australia and New Zealand had been chosen as the places for 1928 The inaugural meetings would be held in Perth at the beginning of September and six weeks would be spent m the Commonwealth. • The delegations would devote three days to each State. J-“ e main conference would be held at Canberra, and would extend over a week. The visit to New Zealand would last a fortnight, and a draft itinerary for the delegates, who, it was at present estimated would number between 60 and to, had been prepared. . « The conference,” continued the Minister “is generally regarded as being the most important forestry conference m the history of the Empire. Many subjects will be discussed, and the delegates to attend the conference will be especially suited to deal with the main items to be considered. At present it is estimated that about 50 State forest service representatives and trade delegates will assemble at the main conference at Canberra. There will, il is expected, be five State forest service representatives from Great Britain, six from India ; eight from Canada, two from South Africa, 19 from Australia, and 14 from the non-self-gove-erning colonies. New Zealand will be represented, but the number of delegates has not yet- been determined. The following countries have been invited to send one trade delegate each: —Great Britain, India Eastern Canada, British Columbia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the non-self-governing colonies. " After the conclusion of the deliberations in Australia,” the Minister added, “ all the delegates will come to New Zealand and an official welcome will be accorded them at the port ,of arrival, as yet unknown. During their fortnight’s sojourn the delegations will visit the Waipona kauri forest, Trounson’s kauri park, the Riverhead nursery plantation, the nurseries and plantations of Rotorua, and the sand dune reclamation work at the north of the Rangitikei River. A short confer-* ence will be held in Wellington, after which the visitors will proceed to the South Island, visiting Nelson, Westland, and Christchurch, and leaving finally from Wellington.” The Minister explained that the broad object of the conference was to discuss all phases of forestry in the Empire. At the main conference at Canberra the respective forest authorities woyild submit statements covering their replies to the already circulated conference questionnaire covering such points as the area of forests in the country concerned, the volume of standing timber, the ownership of the forests, the annual increment put on by the different species, the utilisation of forest produce, the imports and exports ot timber, and the results being obtained with exotic species. From these would be compiled a bulletin showing the comparative position of each country and the progress made. The next step would be to discuss under certain headings subjects of Empire interest such as the following: Timber supply and consumption, ln_ which the world. Empire, and local supplies and demands would be dealt with ; forestry research, both as regarded living trees and tiie utilisation of forest produce; forest technique, relating to silviculture and the managJfnent of indigenous and exotic species; forestry education; Australian hardwoods and markets ; the softwoods of the southern hemisphere; and forestry in relation to climate and erosion and2fire control. Considerable interest had been shown in the proposal to form an Imperial forestry bureau, and this matter would be fully considered by the conference, to which also would be presented numerous papers dealing with various aspects of forestry.