Warxer.—On State Forestry. xlvii 
results of immigration. The only point on which I consider we must be 
very careful is not to hamper the timber industry by vexatious regulations, 
or raise the price of timber to such an extent that it will be cheaper to 
import from neighboring Colonies, Europe, or America. I see no cause at 
present to fear such a result. The imports, it is true, are large, their value 
having been, roughly speaking, £180,000 in 1875; but the chief items are 
the Eucalypti, from Tasmania and Australia, imported for special purposes, 
and not in competition with New Zealand timbers. The value of New Zea- 
land exports in timber and forest produce almost exactly balances the ım- 
ports; but the main item of export is kauri gum (£130,000), on which 
valuable product the State has hitherto received little or nothing. I think 
we should leave out the kauri gum tracts or waste lands of the Crown, or 
levy a royalty on the quantity taken from them. 
I see no reason why New Zealand should import so much timber as she 
does, when she has such indigenous timbers as kauri, totara, puriri, black 
pine, and black birch, at command. The main reason is, doubtless, dear 
labour; but I am sanguine that, as population increases, and the real value 
of the indigenous timber, when to eut and how to season them, becomes 
known, the imports will decrease not increase, whilst the demand for our 
surplus timber from the West Coast from Australia will be greatly aug- 
mented. 
I think I have now said enough, and only trust that I may have pre- 
sented the question of Forest Conservancy to you under a new and highly 
important aspect, so far as regards its influence on the climate, and that 
you will endorse the measures I have suggested for its gradual introduc- 
tion—which are identical with those which I have recommended to your 
Government—with your approval. 
His Excetuency, after inviting discussion on the paper, which was not 
responded to, said: “As no gentleman seems inclined to make any remarks 
upon the very interesting lecture we have heard, I beg to propose a vote of 
thanks to Captain Campbell-Walker, and before doing so I should 
like to make a very few remarks upon it. The question of the 
climatic influence of forests upon a country, I think is one which in this 
present day few people will be inclined to deny. It is a subject which has 
attracted very general interest throughout Europe and in other parts of 
the world. It is self-evident that a mountain-side, divested of its natural 
forest covering, must be more susceptible to the influence of heavy rains— 
that the soil which attaches to its sides must be more liable to be washed 
into the valley beneath, than when the monntain-side is covered with forest, 
and that the fact of the forest shading the soil from the rays of the sun 
prevents the more rapid evaporation which occurs when the forest is taken 
: p* 
