52 



Canadian Forestry Journal, February, 1919 



The forest area is small, permeated and sur- 

 rounded by settlement, and but little opportunity 

 exists to under-estimate the area or quantity of 

 timber. 



Such forest legislation as has existed in 

 Western Australia has, as in Canada, been 

 written by and for the most conspicuously and 

 actively interested partner, the lumbermen or 

 saw-millers, as they are known in that part of 

 the world, the settlers, and the timber hewers 

 unions. We m Canada know the former but 

 not the latter. 



The most important woods of West Australia 

 have long been a staple article of export as rail- 

 road sleepers, particularly to Africa, and India, 

 because of their resistance to decay and white 

 ants. The hewing of these sleepers has at all 

 times been a ready meal ticket for the Australian 

 bushman, or timber hewer, and jealously guard- 

 ed by his union. 



Cheap Stumpage Here. 



In a land where the settler could homestead 

 at' will, where 653,000 acres of the best timber 

 was leased to operators at a total rental of 

 $3,500 annually, and where hewers could hew 

 ties at will through the remaining public timber, 

 on payment of nominal royalty only, there 

 appears need of a new forest act. 



Such an act, framed by Lane Poole, after 

 three years study of the problem, has now been 

 passed by the Legislature. 



The West Australia Forest Act presents sev- 

 eral striking features. 



The Forest Department is removed from the 

 Department of Lands to the Department of 

 Mines, on the theory that the Minister in charge 

 of lands will be under constant temptation to 

 make lands available and will shink from cre- 

 ating permanent forest reserves, whereas the 

 Minister of Mines, having no specific interest in 

 land administration, will act unrestrainedly on 

 the advice of the Conservator of Forests. 

 Conservator's Power Absolute. 



The Conservator of Forests is placed in office 

 for seven years, removable only by a vote only 

 of both the lower and upper chambers of the 

 legislature. He is given all powers of a commis- 

 sioner over all West AustraHa forests, now esti- 

 mated at 3,000,000 acres, of which 1 ,300,000 

 acres have been cut over and 1 ,500,000 acres 

 are under lease. 



The Conservator is furnished with a definite 

 source of revenue, without the necessity of each 

 year going before the legislature, in that one 

 half the forest revenue is each year set aside for 



Blue Gum Forest in Australia ruined by fires 

 occasioned cliiefly by settlers. 



forest work under his direction. This will 

 amount to about $135,000 annually, as com- 

 pared with about $60,000 expended in 1914-15. 

 As the programme develops, it is anticipated 

 that additional funds will be provided. The 

 principle adopted in Western Australia is worthy 

 of consideration in certain Canadian provinces. 



Working Plans for Reserves. 



It is further provided in the Forest Act that 

 the Conservator shall examine the forest lands 

 of the State and set aside as permanent reserves 

 those lands most fitted for this purpose. It ap- 

 pears to be the intention of the Act to extinguish 

 or control any prior leases over such areas. 

 The Act requires that working plans are to be 

 prepared for the reserves, the working plans, 

 after acceptance by the Cabinet, to have the 

 force of law for ten years. 



The sleeper hewers are to be abolished from 

 the state forests on account of their wasteful 

 operating methods. 



An important part of the contemplated work 

 specified in the Act is the regeneration by pro- 

 tection and silvicultural operations, of the dam- 

 aged forest areas. It is further enacted that soft 



