The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1911. OUR DYING FORESTS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13500, 9 October 1911, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1911. OUR DYING FORESTS.

Next to a fertile soil and an almost unparalleled climate, possibly tlie most valuable gift Nature endowed New Zealand witli was magnificent forests. Unfortunately the experiences of this Dominion have been no different to those of other lands. Man has everywhere made the same mistake. He appreciates the soil and climate, but has lamentably failed to appraise the value of the timber. The forests have generally been' Iqoked upon as obstacles in the way of settlement, and wholesale and indiscriminate destruction has ensued the world over. Now it has dawned upon man that he has made a mistake, and he is trying to rectify that error by re-planting. It is a slow process, however, and civilisation has suffered considerable inconvenience in consequence of its lack of foresight. Hero in New Zealand prophets have required no great wisdom to predict that, as the result of our short-sighted policy, the day will come when timber will have to be imported for local requirements. Kauri is doomed to ■extinction within the next few years; rirau and totara have been burned or cut out over the greater part of the Dominion; and other supplies are decreasing Some interesting figures arc given by the Taihape correspondent of the New Zealand Herald that show the extent to which onr forests are being denuded. In the King Country the development of the timber industry has been most noticeable during the past 12 months, and now r mills have been erected in various parts. Optimistic estimators invariably base their calculations on “the present rate of output,” but when “the present rate of output” shows a considerable increase every 12 months the estimates are. certain to need revision every 12 months if they are to be anywhere near the mark when the industry shows signs of nearing extinction. The following table should he interesting, as showing the inroads being made upon forests which have only been made accessible within recent years. The figures show the quantities of timber railed from the principal sawmill centres between Utiku and Te Kuiti for the years ending March 31. 1910, and March 31, 1911:

Increase 17,514,300 'Die foregoing figures do not include the output from Horopito, Manunui, Turangarere, Owhango, and other timber producing centres, nor from the smaller sidings along the railway, as they have not been included in the railway returns for 1910 and 1911. It will bo noticed that the Utiku and, Taihape outputs both show substantial decreases. This is not due to auy decline in the market, but to the sad fact that the timber areas arc practically exhausted. Nine mills were working at Utiku ill 1909, but have now dwindled down to two; hence the decrease in the output. When in full working order the Box Company’s mill will keep the Taihape output at about the present level for some years; but the exhaustion of its milling area means the total extinction of the industry in the Taihape district. Ever sincothe opening of the output has shown a large yearly increase, which will continue for a few I ...years more; but the period, of decline is not very far off. When one considers these enormously increased outputs, the impossibility of basing an estimate of the duration of the industry is at once apparent. The railway returns show proportionate increases all over the Dominion for the- period mentioned, and new estimates will have to be made by the too optimistic estimators if they wish their estimates to bo reasonably near the mark.

1910. 1911. ft. ft. Utiku 6,541,800 4,119,400 Tailiaws 4.976,100 2.869,000 Mataroa 2.866.500 5,655,400 Waiouru 583,300 1,229,500 Bangataua 4,084,600 9,279,400 Oliakune 6,402,000 12,086,000 Waimarino 2,869,000 4,405,000 Tanraaruimi 4,974,300 7,646,600 Taringamutu ... Te Kuiti 3,271,300 6,622,800 2,952,100 4,012,200 Totals 40,421,000 57,935,300 40.421.000