6 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



The State Forests Act of 1874, and likewise the Land Act of 1877 (part 

 v.), provide for the establishment of State forests, allowing Government 

 full power to carry their objects into operation. 



The enactments of the forest law have not, however, hitherto been 

 carried into execution, and it is still generally presumed that there is a 

 superabundance of forest produce for the present and future requirements 

 of the colony — such an opinion not being at all supported by any reliable 

 data or technical statement. Thus, the whole subject being restricted to 

 the single observation of the presumed yield of the forests taken compara- 

 tively with the amount of the present home consumption, other considera- 

 tions of high importance bearing on the subject are overlooked, namely — 



1. That the demand for forest produce, annually supplied out of the 

 public estate, has already attained such proportions that a considerable State 

 income should be actually derivable therefrom. 



2. That the New Zealand timber, "sia" generis" in the world, and generally 

 superior in economic value and fineness to any timber indigenous or im- 

 ported to Europe, commands an export trade there on a large scale, 

 especially on account of the perfect adaptabihty of several of its species to 

 various purposes of the European requirements, and that a considerable 

 State income may also be reahzed through a special export duty, intended 

 for the two-fold object of providing for the legitimate rights of the public 

 purse, and also of maintaining the price of timber for home consumption 

 within moderate bounds. 



3. That the progress of the colony, as well as the extension of the timber 

 exports, cannot fail, within a short period of years, to increase the demand 

 for our forest produce to such an extent as to require the full capability, 

 technically determined and regulated, of the New Zealand forests to supply the 

 said increased demand. 



Should a new organization for the administration of the public estate 

 have the effect of restricting the disposal of the forest lands to the sale of 

 the standing timber, in such proportion as the forest could supply annually 

 and permanently, and should also the system of leasing the forests be 

 amended or done awaymth, the material advantages expected to result from 

 those measures may be premised as follows : — 



1. The well-regulated sales of the standing timber would afford a per- 

 manent State income amounting to much above the proceeds from the 

 forest land under the present system of alienation and forest leasing. 



2. This restriction would enhance the market value or revenue of the exist- 

 ing freehold property, the owners, of forest lands especially, not having any 

 longer to complain of a competition so prejudicial to the value of their property 

 as that renulting from the disposal of the pubhc timber lauds at nominal prices, 



