WHITE V. HOOP PINE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 890, 9 August 1910, Page 6

WHITE V. HOOP PINE.

* . OUR TIMBER TRADE. A CHAT WITH Mil. LESLIE ASHBOLT. Visiting Wellington at tho present time is Mr. Leslie Ashbolt, formerly of this city, and now connected with Pearsons Proprietary, Ltd., one or' the largest importers in Australia of white pino timber. Mr. Ashbolt was interviewed yesterday in connection with the cable message from Melbourne, about the admission of New Zealand timber to Australia. The message reported that a deputation representing the timber industry .had waited on the Minister for Trade and Customs to urge a rearrangement of the duties on imported timber. The cheapness of tho imported timber, it was pointed out, would hamper industry, whilst vast forests of native timber would be neglected. At the same time the deputation was prepared to admit New Zealand white pine, as Queensland could only supply a certain amount of butter-box timber, but asked that 4s. per 100 super, feet be charged in duty for"such timber not used for butter-boxes. The reply of the Minister was to the effect that the tariff would come up for revision next session, and he would do his best to see that tin: timber industry received consideration. Sir.'Ashbolt explains that the Queenslaud timber referred to is called hooppinn, and is a soft, whitish, i-r.sily-worked timber, which "rows well back from the coast in Queensland, and on that account costs a good deal in freight. Melbourne merchants had had a good deal of trouble in tho past in getting contracts fulfilled in time, and besides that, it had been alleged that fome shipments of butter packed in hoop-pine boxes had arrived at Home tainted with a flavour from the . wood. These reasons had had an effect on hoop-pine, the result of which was that very little of it was being used in Melbourne at the present time. White pine from New Zealand is greatly , in evidence in Melbourne, where it is used for a much greater variety of' purposes than it is in New Zealand. It is, for instance, the favourite timber for shelving, for which it would novel , do here on account of the borer, but this insect does not seem nearly ro active in Victoria. Mr. Ashbolt said' he had even heard of white pine being used for flooring in- Sydney, but Melbourne had not gone that far. ■'We pay fid. per 100 superficial feet duty on white pine timber now," ho continued, "but I sec by the cable that they want to let 'butters' in free, and clap ■is. on to 'wides' of off-cuts. 'Butters,' as imported, are usually I2in. by |in. ■ and Win. by Jin., but white pine for shelving, the undertaking trade, etc., is from 12 to 18 inches by 1 inch. The offcuts are called 'narrows,' and are at present, sold at little.above cost, but with 4s. per 100 ft. duty the position will be peculiar. At present next to nothing is made out of 'narrows,' yet the mills supplying "butters' will surely want consignees, to take a proportion of off-cuts, otherwise they would never get rid of them. They aro willing to allow Gutters' in free; as they know very well they cannot meet the demand for such timber. All manufacturers of butter-boxes in Melbourne at the present time are using nothing but New.Zealand white pine. "Pearsons Proprietary," says Mr. Ashholt, "is dealing with a big proportion of the output of Wicks's mills on tho West Coast (Mr. Wicks being the selling agent for the association), and also that of tho Marlborough Timber Company. Wo had about 400,000 ft. of white pine irom that company's mills at Nydia Bay on the Lauderdalo, when that steamer was wrecked at.Greymouth. It was consigned to Adelaide and Bunbury (Western Australia)."