DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS.

Wairarapa Age, 17 July 1934, Page 4

DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In your issue of Saturday you state that “The milling rights have been granted over an area of 201 acres in the Miki Miki, and that rimu, miro, kahikatea, ma tai, totara, red and silver beech were to be cut, to the amount of 1,109,300 feet super.” Presumably anything too big for a whip handle for the bullock-driver is to be cut. Can you explain why Mr' Jolliffe, at a recent meeting convened by the Chamber of Commerce and at which Mr. Macpherson, Wellington Conservator of State Forests, was present, distinctly stated that miro was not to be cut. Also is not this area a new unit? When I visited this area a few years ago there was the remains of a disbanded tramway, but no signs of a sawmill in milling operation. Yet the State Forest officials say no new unit will be established. Why?—l am, etc., “NEW ZEALAND.” Masterton, July 16. (The above letter was referred to Mr W. H. Jolliffe, State Forest Officer, who stated that the policy of the Forest Service was not to open the bush for milling by a new operating unit That did not mean that no new block of bush would bo opened. It was the aim of the Service to keep mills at present established in operation, rather than allow them to close down and add further to the unemployed ranks. Tenders would be called for the block in question, >but no tender would be accepted from any newly-established company. Referring to the cutting of miro, Mr. Jolliffe said that what he stated was that only the very best miro trees would be milled. The majority of these trees would not be touched.)