262 FORESTRY IN NEW ZEALAND. 



Of other forest products " Kauri gum," which is dug out of the 

 ground, where formerly extensive kauri forests existed, is of 

 importance. 



3. Relationship of the State to the Forests. 



Legislation. — A State Forest Act was passed in 1908. As it 

 proved inefficient in some respects, the shortcomings were made 

 good by section 34 of the War Legislation and Statute Law 

 Amendment Act, 1918. The account given in the New Zealand 

 Statement is not very clear, but the present position seems to be 

 somewhat as follows. The Forest Act of 1908 provided, amongst 

 others, powers for :^ 



(1) The appointment of one of the responsible Ministers to be 



" Commissioner of State Forests." 



(2) The setting apart of any Crown forest lands as State Forests. 



(3) The provision of the necessary funds. 



(4) The granting of Licences to cut timber in any State forest. 



(5) The appointment of forest officers. 



(6) The promulgation of Regulations deahng with the duties of 



Conservators of Forests, the general system of manage- 

 ment, protection against fire, waste and other damage, 

 the construction and maintenance of roads and other 

 means of transport, &c., and generally to carry out the 

 provisions of the Act. 



(7) The establishment of schools of forestry and agriculture. 



(8) The exclusion of open lands from State forests, provided 



Parhament does not object. 



It appears that additional power has now been given to declare 

 any Crown lands " Provisional State Forests," and to permit the 

 Government to take back such areas for settlement purposes ; 

 in other words, to substitute the Government in power at the time 

 for Parliament. 



Administrative Methods. — It has been stated above that 

 3,298 square miles of State forests have been declared National 

 Parks and Permanent Reserves. These consist of climatic and 

 scenic reserves. They may yield a small amount of timber, but 

 that is not taken into account when deahng with the supply of 

 timber generally. The latter is expected to come from the 

 unreserved 12,357 square miles of State forests, private forests, 



