TIMBER AREAS

Southland Times, Issue 19311, 1 August 1924, Page 5

TIMBER AREAS

DAMAGE TO THE ROADS. QUESTION OF ROYALTIES. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 31. The question of timber royalties for the maintenance of country roads was the subject of a deputation to membere of the Gov?rnment 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. Other Ministers present were Sir R. H. Rhodes and Mr McLeod.

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, local bodies considered 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 the royalties. It was also asked that advisory boards should be set up as provided in the Forestry Act, 1921. In many portions of New Zealand, it was claimed, there is heavy timber country. The land is not as valuable as other parts, consequently when timber was removed local bodies could not collect rates sufficient to maintain the roads. If the royalties were not forthcoming the local bodies would have to fall back on the Consolidated Fund.

Sir Francis Bell, replying said that Cabinet had not yet considered the report of the Timber Royalties Commission, and when doing so it would be of great, advantage to have before it the criticism of local bodies. The representatives of those bodies would have just as full consideration as the report of the Commission. 'Hie question was a difficult one, but, speaking as 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 forests by the legitimate operations of the Forestry Department, he said that counties should have a portion of it. They must not regard as a fact that the State forest policy was itself in effect depriving local authorities of revenue except to a minor extent. The matter would be considered fully when Cabinet came to deal with the question as to how the revenue derived from the Department’s operations was to be disposed of. ____________