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1924. NEW ZEALAND.

STATE FOREST SERVICE. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF FORESTRY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1924.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly .pursuant to Section 64 of the Forests Act, 1921-22.

The Director of Forestry to the Hon. the Commissioner of State Forests. Sir, — Wellington, Ist June, 1924. I have the honour to submit herewith a report on the work of the State Forest Service for the year ended 31st March, 1924. The following recommendations are submitted for your consideration : — (1.) The national forest policy and programme should be carefully reviewed during the coming year and reoriented in the light of the developments of the past four years. This recommendation is in line with the proposals of the 1920 report. (2.) The establishment of a special State Forests Account of £500,000 to be used for the acquisition of forests and the consolidation of permanent State forests. (3.) There are still large areas of Crown-owned forests undedicated to forest-conservation, protection of stream-flow, and general timber-crop production. The Forest Service should be made responsible for these forests, their conservation and appropriate use. (4.) Financial assistance to a recognized school of forestry is advised. Trained foresters are sorely needed. (5.) The time is now ripe for the establishment on a modest scale of a forest-products laboratory where research and study of wood problems, timber-seasoning, and development of uses for our annual wastage of 8,000,000 tons of wood can be carried out. (6.) The adequate control of deer calls for'early concerted action. Present measures have not proven altogether effective. (7.) Recommendations " B," " C," " G," of the 1923 annual report, which deal with Crown forest administration, North Island Experiment Station, and policy of administering sawmill tramways, respectively, are again submitted, for your consideration. I have, &c, L. Macintosh Ellis, B.Sc.F., C.S.F.E., S.A.F., Director of Forestry.

CONTENTS. Page Page Chapter I.—Progress .. .. .. I Chapter IV. —Research and Experiments .. 10 Chapter ll.—The State Forest Service .. 3 Chapter V. —General .. .. 14 Chapter 111. —The State Forests .. .. 4 Annexures .. .. .. .. ..18 CHAPTER I.—PROGRESS. The year just closed has been another record year in profitable forestry operation in the Dominion. The total forest income from all sources —sales of trees,*"timber income, grazing, and minor uses —was £93,479, whilst the total operational, protective, and"general management expenses were £42,584 (a distributed charge of only per acre), leaving a balance of £50,895, applied to the capital investment of State forest plantations throughout the Dominion and to their maintenance, protection, and improvement.

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