I 



67 



i t- 





Ireland and of Lavongai, both Rliizophora and works would be certain of a supply of timber for local 

 Bruguiera attain magnificent dimensions, so that 60- purposes instead of haying to import the bulk of its 



feet piles could be cut from these forests without much 

 casting around. I was particularly impressed with 

 the tremendous dimensions of the trees in a swamp 

 that occurs on the north coast of New Ireland, close 

 to a plantation called Kinadam. For commercial pro- 

 duction of either tannin from mangrove bark, or 



alcohol 



Mpa, Papua offers a far larger field. 



wood from Sydney, which is the rule to-day. I do not 

 say that the timber thus cut or fashioned will be much 

 cheaper, but the natives will have learnt a trade, and 

 rural industries will he the outcome in the end which 

 should supply an interest in life. That such a policy 

 would be acceptable to the native I feel sure, and there 

 is little, I think, to object to in it from any point of 



In fact, as far as Nipa is concerned, the Territory is view, so that it should commend itself to the League of 

 extraordinarily poor. Nations. 



- In the Papuan section I have outlined a forest 



policy for that Territory. The Mandated Territory 



a policy is in much the same situation. There is no need to 



3. FORKST POLICY. 



Continuity being the first principle of 



which governs the management of a crop of such long 

 life as timber trees, one is hampered in making sug- 

 gestions for a Territory the future of which is not 

 definitely laid down. 



I am forced to regard the 



O 



administration as continuous, although it is only a by them, 

 mandate which is subject to revision from time to time. 



alter the present ordinance for, as in Papua, its aim 

 is to encourage the saw-miller to cut all before him, 

 and had there been anything to cut at a profit it would 

 all be held by Australian companies, if not all cut out 



It is certain that, should the mandate pass into other _ 



hands than those of Australia, the forest assets will then an ordinance such as I haveoutlined for Papua 



In case any of the midniountain hoop-pine country 

 becomes profitable to work owing to heightened prices, 



not cease to be well cared for, and a policy formulated 

 to-day would with such alterations as the change 

 necessitated, hold good under the administration of 



would, I think, meet the case. 



I am convinced of thi 



1 



is Because a 



another power 



forest policy cannot in any way prove harmful to 

 the native; it is a form of husbandry which will not 

 only prove acceptable to the inhabitants, but will re- 

 commend itself to all nations owing to its great 



Pomcy as to the Natural Forests — Low Country. 



Research and Planting. — These are the two maia 

 things to be done. First, a forester must study th 





sylvieultural requirements of the best species. Then 

 Mould come the improvement of the forests. It will 



civilizing effect. The planting of trees and the con- be slow work, but if from the present chaotic mixture 



version of trunks into timber and timber into articles °f species can be evolved a normal forest growing only 



for use within and, possibly, beyond the Territory, will 



teach the native not only long views, but several trades 



valuable trees, the time spent on research will not be 

 wasted. As for plantations, the vast valley of (he 



in which wood is the raw material. Forestry, and all ^larkhani and Upper liamu, all that portion which the 

 its allied crafts, has the advantage of being a rural natives have transformed from forest to grass land, 



should be planted up with Teak, 1'terocarpus, and such 



other valuable species as experience will diow the. 

 forester, are satisfactory. On the drier areas, sandal- 

 wood should be tried, and in the meantime research 



into the various oils and by-products mentioned in 



the field notes to the species may show the Avay to 



occupation, and in this it is to be preferred to many 

 a technical industry which necessitates a training in 



Kabaul or some other centre. 



Those who have seen 



the river natives not only conserve, but actually plant 



trees to yield timber for canoe making for their sons, 



must agree that forestry will be more acceptable in 



New Guinea than in many a white man's country, other valuable trees also worth planting. 



Where woodworking is concerned, whether it be 



carving or canoe making, decorating houses, or making 



household utensils, the native from Bougainville to the 



Sepik with the rudimentary tools he possesses, is a 

 craftsman — 



" Au plus profoncl dee bois la patrie a son coeur 

 Un peuple sans forets est on peuple qui nieurt." 



In many parts the native is dying out, some say it 

 is his inability to live up to the new environment that 

 the white man has brought to him. That he has lost 

 his old incentives, his head hunts, his tribal fights 

 and his ceremonial dances, and he has in exchange 



The Mid Mountain Forest Policy. 



Here there is sound work to he done by a far-seeing 

 Government. The hoop-pine of Queensland is rapidly 

 being exhausted, the growing of more will prove diffi- 



t 



•ult and expensive, while in the Mandated Territory 

 it thrives at fairly low altitudes, and can be planted 

 at a much lower cost than in Australia. I say fairly 

 low altitudes, for I have in mind the Papuan stands 

 which were very high up. On the mountains that 



stretch from the Rawlinson to Mount Cromwell group 



'on the sea side and all along the mountains on both 



freedom from attack, rapine and murder, ease of life sides of the Markham Valley, and down the Rami! 

 and general apathy. That the jolt from the stone age Valley for 40 miles, hoop-pine grows well at 2,000-3,000 

 to the petrol age has been too violent, and he cannot 



assimilate all that we now give him in the way of 



new thought. As a corrective to this state of affairs, 

 a forest policy, carrying with it a general planting 

 campaign might prove of value. Such plantations 



would have fewer of the objections of the coastal coco- 

 nut plantations. For instance, boys would not be 

 brought from the high mountains to sea level, but 

 would be utilized to plant or tend hoop-pine forests 



at 5,000 feet. There is a very wide range of districts, 

 altitudes, and climates to choose boys from, and an 

 equally wide range for plantation sites. 'Fhe estab- 

 lishment of small wood-Avorking industries in the 

 natural forest should also be part of the policy, and 

 here the native would learn saw-milling and the use 

 of tools in all manner of wood-working, and the public 



feet, and these are obvious places to plant it on a very 

 large scale. This country offers a far better oppor- 

 tunity than the coniferous belt in Papua, which is 

 3,000 feet higher. The policy should be to restore 

 the hoop-pine forest, whore it has been destroyed by 

 natives, and to extend it into the non-coniferous forest 

 between the ridges. What is known of the sylviculture 

 of hoop-pine has been written by Prof. N. Jolly, and 



will bo found reprinted on pa#o f>:{ of this report. 



It is quite impossible to estimate the value of sue! 

 plantations of hoop-pine, but the attractiveness of the 

 proposal must be patent to any one who realizes that 



Australia requires to-day over £4,400,000 worth of 



softwood, and her imports from the United States of 



America must in the near future dwindle, and then 

 cease altogether. 



<• ■ 



