PAYMENT OF HALVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 5

PAYMENT OF HALVES.

ADMINISTRATION OF TIMBER LANDS. (From Ock Own Correspondent.) HOKITIKA, August 12,

At to-dav’s meeting of the Westland County Council the chan man, in his monthly report, drew the council’s attention to the following extract from the printed precis of the report of the Royal Commission on Forestry;— In regard to the payment of halves of timber royalties to local bodies, while we hold that the principle is sound in cases where the roads are used by the nulters in cutting then timber, still in some districts not 20 per cent, of the timber ever goes on the roads at all. The sawmillers make their own tramways to the railways, and thence it is sent direct to the ship’s side. In these cases we consider an amendment of the law is required, and the half royalties should only bo paid on timber which is conveyed by road. As the law at present stands some districts got Ifirgo subsidies without anv corresponding liabilities and other districts get nothing.’’ Commenting on tiiis report, he said: “This is a matter of importance to the council, as a large amount of local revenue is involved. The payment of ‘ half ’ came into force in 1906-7 and since then up to March 31 last the council has received £9128 fiom this particular source of revenue, or an average annual income for the seven years of £1304. Any curtailment of this amount would lead "to a further stringency of the council’s position The payment of halves’ was originally intended to help the local bodies financially, and with the increasing amount of settlement there is as much need as ever for this financial help. The council at present is not deriving anv revenue from Crown lands, scenic reserves, or timber reserves. It is proposed under the forestry report i<> also set apart in this county large climatic reserve*, and these also will lie uon-rateable. A local bodv, such as Westland will, therefore, bo seriously handicapped if it is preposed to further whittle away the revenue now derived from ‘halves.’ The comparison made by the commissioner, that some districts get" large subsidies while others get nothing, may bo met by the reply that the latter are probably the more fortunate, in that they have not the heavily-timbered land, and 'so settlement has not been so long’ delayed. Such districts, besides, reap tho other advantages of a larger raturn revenue and a cheaper cost in building roads and maintaining them. if all our timber land were open country what a tremendous difference it would have made in the speedier and permanent settlement of Westland. As regards the suggested curtailment of revenue other local bodies are, of course, affected, and they should be communicated with and asked to co-operate in urgin" the Government not to interfere with 'the arrangement already made in food faith. There is also a recommendation in the forestry report that the administration of timber lands bo removed from the control of the warden and bo wholly dealt with by the land boards. This is an unwarranted reflection upon tiro court. The rights are only granted after consultation with the Lands Department and are administered under public regulations in open court, and the public have in the Warden’s Court a right of appeal. That safeguard will not obtain were this large public estate adjudicated upon by the land board* *•-