TIMBER EXPORT.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 159224, 13 September 1923, Page 5

TIMBER EXPORT.

(To the Editor.) Sir—ln the leading article 11th inst you criticise the new Act restricting the export of timber, while not taking either sides, for or against such action, I certainly would like a little of your valuable space to point ut noon next,, the 15th inst. The match millable timber.

When the late Mr. Richard Seddon was Prime Minister one of his policies for the future welfare of our country was his tree planting scheme; which is even now realised by our present Prime Minister Mr. W. F. Massey. However, when Mr. Massey was “Opposition” he was loud in denouncing what he then termed “The wilful waste of public money.” Mr. Massey expressed the opinion that it would be much better to have the land cleared and sown down in grass than to, as he termed it, wilfully waste the public money on what the Government would only have to Jet contracts afterwards, to 1 clear. The Liberals started and planted all convenient reserves in various timbers, and Encouraged the settlers who owned second class land to go in for planting timber for the future. But when Mr. Massey got into power this stopped; and what was worse the timber planted bv the Seddon Government was used up, which had been planted on the railway reserves. So that it is easy to see if the Liberal Government had continued m power, there would have' been plenty of timber for building. It now seems late in the day for Mr. Massey to start a forest scheme. The whole question po'rts to the fact that the Reform party has outlived thel: utility, more especially as they are are at present compelling our backr block farmers to destroy timber to fulfil their improvements. , T am etc.. , A. J. Whiteside.'