DAY BY DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15245, 23 May 1923, Page 4

DAY BY DAY.

The investigations of those who have

Faced With a Timber Famine.

made a study of the rate of consumption of tinjber point to the

prospect that in the next twenty years the ’ world will be faded with a timber shortage, if not an actual famine. Such a possibility should give an increasing impetus to a systematic endeavour to make provision for future supplies. Whether the rest of the world is alive to the situation or not, it remains for the British Empire to do its part. During the great war vast forest areas were devastated. In Great Britain alone these amounted to 1,000,000 acres, of which probably not 5 per cent has been replanted. It is estimated that in Great Britain alone there would be three million acres suitable for afforestation and for no other purposes, and it seems a cogent argument that the time is now particularly opportune for afforestation in respect of this area in view of the urgency of the problem of unemployment. There is, of course, no expectation that Great Britain will ever be able to grow all the timber she needs. Climate is a factor affecting the production of certain timbers Very pertinent in the circumstances is the comment offered by the Prince of Wales: “Considering how almost every kind of climate can be found within our Empire, it is unsatisfactory to learn that by far the greater part of the timber used by us is brought from abroad. This state of affairs suggests an alluring programme of operations for the Empire Forestry Association to carry out, with the hope of remedying, even to a small extent, this deficiency in the forest production and economy of the Empire.” It is anticipated that the Forestry Association will give evidence of its vitality in connection with the British Empire Exhibition, and it is possible that forestry will And a place ii the agenda of the approaching Economic Conference.