CONTROL OF BEECH TIMBER

Southland Times, Issue 24684, 4 March 1942, Page 5

CONTROL OF BEECH TIMBER

APPEAL AGAINST DECISION OF MAGISTRATE The importance of control over supplies of silver beech timber for war purposes was emphasized by the Conservator of Forests (Mr J. F. Field) when giving evidence in the Supreme Court yesterday. The case was an appeal by Andrew Sharpe Ltd., sawmillers, of Tawanui, South Otago, against the decision of Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M., convicting the appellants of two alleged breaches of the Beech Marketing Notice 1940. He said that control became more necessary each day. The timber was urgently required for crates and boxes and for motor bodies for Army transport. His Honour Mr Justice Kennedy heard the appeal. Mr F. B. Adams, and with him Mr W. S. Armitage (both ot Dunedin), appeared for the appellants and Mr H. J. Macalister for the Conservator of Forests who laid the informations. Mr Macalister submitted that the Magistrate’s decision was correct. The Beech Marketing Notice, which prohibited sales of bush timber except through the agency of the Southland Co-operative Silver Beech Company, was a reasonable and valid notice and within the powers of the Minister. The defendant company had taken up a hostile attitude towards the notice and had refused to comply with it. When Mr Macalister was calling evidence, Mr Adams said he admitted the sales of timber which were the subject of the prosecution. His clients did not wish to try to escape by saying that they did not sell. - They were seeking an interpretation of the law and wanted to know if they had done right or wrong. The hearing was unfinished when the Court rose.