STRICT TIMBER CONTROL

Chronicle (Levin), 29 June 1946, Page 4

STRICT TIMBER CONTROL

-Press Association

ENSURING A MQRE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION

By TelegravTirr

Vv oLLljN G'-L'ON, June 29. Tlie sale of tiiuber in lots • of more than IU.0 board feet, are to be pro- ■ lubited in the North Island except wifh permission oi' the Timber Cont'roller acting through regional officers. The purpqse is to ensnre that as much as possible of thc.limited supply available issued for house buildiug. Saies oi timber will be approved in the foiiowing order: — (1) For priorities established by the Timber ControJIqr. ' (2) For non-priority house building according to the date of issue of building permits. In cases where the applicant is in a position to proceed with constr'uction inimediateiy supplies are to be available. (3) For-works and industries. such as the fui'niture trade. No" merchant will be permitted to . make more than 5 per cent. of his montlily saies by way of .lots of 109 feet oi less. These measures will be introduced by means of notices issued under the Supply Control Emergency Regulations and Timber Emergency Regulations, the first notice of which will take effect from July 1 and will apply to the Auckland district only. Subsequcnt notices will cover the rcst of the North Island. . - The South Island, where the shortage of timber is not so severe, will not be aifected. !

control ot the mistnbuuon and use of timber was still vitally necessary, it was officially stated today. Supplies would be short for at least two years. The main cau.se of the shortage was lack of manpower in the milling- industry. Another factor was inadequate shipping from the South Island. Before the war, 2,000,000 "feet a month was shipped from there to the North Island. Now there was space for only one-fifth of that quantity. Since the war eeased, committeos representative of timber merehants, builder's, manufacturers and workers had not been al- , logether successful in securjng proper dislribution of supplies. They and their officers had lackcd legal powers of enforcement. There was evidence that some liolders of building perniits had been adopting extraordinary mcasuTes almost amounting to black marketing, to obtain their needs. Certain builders had been able to indiice country sawmillers to supply them before the holders of earlier dated permits. Steps were now being taken to ensure each consuming centre in the North Island received a share of timber proportional to its needs. The primary ob.-ject was to get more timber into the house building industries such as furniture. The trade would have to be prepared for a time to use more plywood and insignis pine instead of rimu. The officers would have legal power to enforee distribution according to established priorities and where priorities did not exist, according to the date of issue of building permits. The stricter control being provided for was to ensure t-he most advantageous use of available timber and to enable the Cfovernment to implement its policy of reserving for ex-servieemen 50 per cent, of the timber available for privato home building.