Commonwealth Forestry Review

AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH 23 .
the wide-spread use of timber preservation processes have helped a great deal to
conserve the indigenous forests by making it possible to slow dow ntheir rate of
depletion. Since 1946 the amount of timber cut from the "exotic" forests is estimated
to have represented a saving of nearly 750,000 acres of indigenous forest, and" the use
of preservative even more than that.
The AucklandHerald of 10th October has quoted some of the sayings ofthe Minister
of Land and Forests, Duncan McIntyre, which may be worth re-quoting here:
"With their system of tapu, the Maoris introduced conservation."
"There are large areas in New Zealand we should give back to God and we should
apologise for the mess we have made ... even offer to help him repair the damage."
"The politician is your mouthpiece; if you are interested in the environment, he
must be."
"Man is the most noxious animal ever introduced into New Zealand."
"How many of you could still get more excitement out of... rain on a tin roof than
the broadcast from Parliament ?"
"Plant trees for your lives."
"The battle-cry of conservation is good to hear, but would be even better if some
of those shouting the loudest had a clearer idea of what they were shouting for."
"People who love the land do not abuse it."
"It is the wooing of the earth that we must aspire to."
"We must reconcile two conflicting elements-taking enough profit from our land
to give us a good living and protecting that same land to give us a good life."
"We Kiwis can have a paradise here in our own land if we plan and if we are prepared
to pay the price."
NIGERIA
Speech by His Excellency The Military Governor of The Western State
To The Forestry Association of Nigeria on the occasion of its launching ceremony.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I am delighted to be in your midst this morning and to have the opportunity of
addressing your inaugural meeting. I welcome each and everyone of you to Ibadan
and wish you a happy stay here. I congratulate you heartily for forming this Association.
It is my belief that it will offer a virile forum where forestry problems will be
discussed and solved. I am certain you have a wealth of knowledge and very rich experience
in tropical forestry that the outside world is eager to tap. It is through the
journal of the Association, which I am informed you will start publishing soon, that
these vital information and knowledge will be disseminated to the outside world.
Forestry in this country today has entered a phase of intensive management. In the
past your activities centred on acquiring the forest estate and protecting it. Now that
you have the Estate, you are actively engaged in developing it to support the needs
of the teeming population in this country. Because the products of the forests are
intimately connected with the lives of the ordinary people you occupy a unique place
in subscribing substantially to the general well being of the inhabitants of this country.
The export of timber alone, I am told, earns about £7 million in foreign exchange every
year and about ten times this value from a variety of minor forest products including
wood carvings, palm oil and kernels, gum arabic, species, wild animals and animal
trophies. A vital service which the forests render the ordinary village man and which
we do not appreciate enough is the provision of herbs and barks for the preparation of
native medicine. A good proportion of the population collects herbs and barks of
trees for concoctions and medicinal preparations since the medical facilities are
inadequate in these areas.
It is gratifying to note that every State Government in the Federation has embarked
upon extensive afforestation programmes. I am informed that you are employing the
latest innovations and techniques in growing quickly timber that you will soon be
called upon to supply industries in this country. In this connection I shall mention