21 



nized as a State measure, a material contribution will be made to 

 the industrial wealth and prosperity of the colony. 



The attention of the Government is, however, directed to the 

 wanton waste of native timber on all the Crown lands of the 

 colony. In many districts the Board witnessed the destruction of 

 thousands of splendid trees of the white and blue gums, mountain 

 ash, stringybark, messmate, and ironbark species, trees of over 

 200 feet in height being sacrificed for the sake of a single sheet of 

 bark. By the establishment of a responsible board, a much better 

 system of supervision could be ensured. 



Finally, the members of the Board beg to submit the following 

 recommendations, which are based on the result of their personal 

 observations and a careful review^ of all the evidence taken during 

 the course of their investigations. Regulations are also appended 

 w^hich, if adopted, w 7 ill render the supervision of Crown lands much 

 more effective than has been possible under the system previously 

 in force, w r hile the chances of stripping being carried on in a 

 wasteful manner wdll be considerably reduced. 



1. That, in the opinion of the Board, the indiscriminate and 



reckless stripping of bark, as carried on in years past, 

 will, if continued, cause such a reduction in the annual 

 supply as will materially check the progress of the 

 tanning industry and export trade. 



2. That regulations can be so framed as to conserve and 



encourage the growth of the w r attle trees on Crow r n 

 lands, in sufficient numbers to ensure a continuance of 

 the supply required for local wants, as well as the 

 maintenance of the supply required for foreign markets. 



3. That the principle of wattle cultivation should be adopted 



by the State, and also by all local governing bodies 

 having the control of reserves or tracts of unoccupied 

 land. Wattles should be grown on the main roads, 

 along all the lines of railway, and on all lands which 

 are not available for other purposes. 



4. That certain areas of poor land at present lying waste 



should be reserved from selection (or alienation in any 

 other form), and devoted to the systematic cultivation 

 of wattles. These areas to be surveyed in blocks of, 

 say, one thousand acres, and let by tender, as wattle 

 farms, to any persons who shall produce evidence of 

 the bond fide nature of their application. The farms to 

 be let on lease for ten or more years ; and on the expi- 

 ration of the term of lease the land to revert back to 

 the Crown, the lessee to be afforded the first option of 



