Lecoy. — The Forest Question in New Zealand. 19 



An analysis of returns relating to colonial timber, issued by the English 

 Colonial Office, and presented to both Houses of Parliament, August, 1878, 

 affords important information. In the prefatory observations of the official 

 document it is stated that " The returns exhibit, in a striking manner, the 

 urgent need for some prompt and comprehensive action to stay the influences at 

 work to destroy the indigenous forests which constitute, in many instances, the 

 principal natural riches of the colonies. — hooking * * * above all, to the 

 intrinsic importance of the question itself, this may be regarded as a matter of 

 Imperial concern, calling for well-considered action on the part of the Government.'' 

 In the chapter devoted to New Zealand, the provisions of the State 

 Forests Act of 1874 are recited, and the following remarks occur : — " As a 

 practical and comprehensive experiment in the direction of forest conservancy, the 

 results will be looked forivard to with interest.'' * * * 



Besides the supply derivable from her dependencies, England imports 

 immense quantities of timber from the north of Europe. But there, also, 

 forests are becoming exhausted, and protective duties on the Baltic timbers 

 are imminent. 



The demand for staves and hardwood intended for various jpurposes, is 

 , considerable in the English markets, and should New Zealand timbers be 

 better known there, they would soon be in demand to any amount that 

 could be supplied. The same remarks apply to those of our woods which 

 are so well adapted for the manufacture of furniture, cabinet work, etc. 

 However, for ordinary house-building purposes New Zealand timbers could 

 not compete in price with the lighter woods generally used in England. 



In France, the use of hardwoods for house-building purposes is more 

 general than in England, and it may be there a matter of necessity, to 

 which, in some cases, ornamentation is added. Houses in Paris being 

 five stories high (each house affording habitation to ten families), have to be 

 constructed with the strongest materials. Oak, as a rule, is used in the 

 construction of stairs, inlaid floorings, doors, and panels, the work being 

 finished off by the application of a special encaustic, which produces a 

 varnish-like appearance. Thus, in France, oak is found to be both useful 

 and ornamental ; and floorings of polished oak are almost universal, carpets 

 being but seldom used, and then only in winter. Another characteristic of 

 French custom is extreme luxury in furniture, all classes of the people in 

 towns seeking to possess themselves of the best fm'niture that their means 

 will admit of. It may therefore be confidently asserted that New Zealand 

 timbers, for all purposes indicated in the above classification, will find a 

 ready market in France. 



In addition to the annual product of her 23,000,000 acres of forests 

 (including State, communal, and private forests, all of which are subjected 



