TEANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE, 



1879. 



I.— MISCELLANEOUS. 



Art. I. — The Forest Question in New Zealand. By A. Lecoy, M.A., 



LL.B. Univ. Paris. 



[Read before the Wellingcon Philosophical Society, 26th July, 1879.] 



Introduction. 

 I. Statistics V, Eevenue in Europe. 



II. Premises. VI. Estimated Eevenue for New Zealand. 



III. State Forests. VII, Scheme of Management. 



IV. Eevenue derivable. VIII. Value of Timbers. 



Introduction. 



Among the various systems already adopted for the purpose of turning to 

 profit the natural resources of the public estate, stands prominently what 

 is called the Public Works policy. This was a broad and bold enter] /rise, 

 involving future rather than present advantages. Therefore, the time for 

 us to fully appreciate the merits of that policy has not yet come, and 

 what seems desirable to be done in the interval, would be, to avoid the loco- 

 motive crossing the path of the chariot of the State ; for ovir attention may 

 be called to the facts, that the incessant progress of the colony will have the 

 effect of increasing the State expenditure, and that such increase may be 

 required before an adequate augmentation of the revenue is available. 



Parallel with the Public Works system might be initiated a new policy, 

 tending to promote the interest of the Colonial Treasury, by im- 

 proving and consolidating, instead of exhausting, the revenue derivable 

 from the public estate, by a systematic treatment of the Crown forest lands, 

 which revenue might be increased to such an amount as to jDrovide at any 

 time for the largest portion of the expenditure required for general State 



