TIMBER POSITION

Chronicle (Levin), 31 January 1947, Page 5

TIMBER POSITION

Press AsdDciation

Prospects for Home Buiiders ! Bright minister's review

By Telegraph —

WELLINGTON, Jan. 30. In a statement today the Commissioni er of State Forests, Hon. C. F. Skinner, | elaborated upon his recent review oi i the timber supply position in which he announced that timber production for the financial year ending Alarch 1947, was expected to reach the figure ot 3,000,000 board feet above that for tln previous year. With the rate of timber production for the financial year 1947-48 likely to be substantially nearer to the Govern ment target figure of 415,000,000 board feet a year, prospects for home build | ers were brighter than at any time dur i ing the past five j*ears, said Mr. Skin | ner. The major contribution in the t clrive for increased production would i come from more than a score of new ! sawmills seheduled to commence opera- • tions during the year or early next year. Many new mills would cut timber from Ktate forests, either from logs ] supplied by the forest service or from : standing bush cut under a sawmili ■iicence. From the new units in botli in : digenous and exotic forests, would comc 1 a total output conservatively estimated i at more than 60,000,000 board feet ' yearly. ■ Eleven new mills would be loeated in the Eotorua district, seveu in Auckland j and tlie remainder distributed through t out the rest of the Dominion. Plans to ' boost the yield of exotic forests by over 50 per cent. by the middle of 1949, would liave a pronounced effect on fut- • ure supplies of liousing timber by mak ing avaiJable increased supplies oi : exotics for framing timbers and by tln substitution of insignis pine to release | additional quantities of riniu for house | construction. "Although the supply of sawn timber from overseas remaius vague, " coutin ued the Minister, "reasonable hopes may be held of imports of Australian hardwoods, redwood and oregon being increased by several millio'n feet dur ing the year, compared with imports oi S,200,UQ0 feet in 1943, 8,400,000 in 194 i and 10,000,000 in 1945. The figures for 1947 should be near the 18,000,000 mark. "The response to the Governmem siionsored scheme for improvement oi acconunodation for bush and sawmili workers, encourages hopes for the rapid relief of staff shortages in tlie milling industry and consequent increase in production by many mills now working beJovv capacity through lack of employees. Priority in the supply oi" liouses under the scheme will go to those mills wliieh can make tlie most signiJicant contri bution toward increased production aiiu with the completion of administrative preliminaries, a iarge seale construction of housing units will shortly be in fub swing. ''In faee of continued difficulty, the sawmilling industry is making a noL able response to the demand for more timber to 1111 not only normal require ments but also for tlie buiiding arrears of tlie war years. Alost mills are working considerably extended hours to maintain day to day supplies to timbei yards which have been without reserve stocks since they were cleared out for wartime needs. ' ' Alanpower difliculties magnified by the lifting of ali remaining eontroL last June, had remained as the great est olfetacle in the way of increased production and many millers described the present position as worse than during the war years, the Minister added. The sawmili accommodation improvement scheme designed to attraet men back into the industry, should, however, achieve beneficial results during the year. The difficulty in securing supplies of heavy equipment was tending to slow down production in some miils. Prospeets of immediate improvemen! were slight. A number of tractors pur cliased in Ihe Pacilic would arrive in New. Zealand during the year for log ging work but any general improvement was dependent upon overseas supplieo from eountries fully absorbed in thefi supply . of equipmei^, for their ovvn" domesti'c markets. 4 > With an improvement in the manpower position und in the supply of equipment, Mr. Kkinner anticipated that the production rate of 415,00(J,UU0 board feet which had been set as the ' target iigure for the fulfilment of tlie nationai housingtand construction pro gramme, would be attained by tlie middle of 1948. Maintained for three or four years it would be sufficient not only to cope completely with the demand for buiiding in this eountry but also to restore tim jer stocks to ijre-war levels and to increake exports.