DOMINION FORESTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1733, 25 April 1913, Page 8

DOMINION FORESTS.

THE COMMISSION.

THEIR SITTINGS AT AUCKLAND, 1 (By Telegraph.--Preas Aseoolatlon.) Auckland, April 24. At tho Forestry Commission to-day, David G-oldi;, limber merchant, expressed tho opinion that it would be most unwise to allow whito pino to bo exported to England or elsewhere for such . goneral purposes as making; piano, cases, etc. Timber was now being used which , had been . rejecttd when tho mills went through the forests years ago. Thero was an enormous l waste of timber by fire, and tappingi kauri for gum deteriorated tho trees. . Questioned on the necessity for planting, Mr. Goldie said that it depended on tho price paid for tho labour; it might be cheaper to import than to produce. There was enough timber in tho world to last out our time.

•'William Arthur Gumming, president of tho Auckland branch of the Institute of Architects, was called to give ovidonco regarding the probablo increase in the price of building residences, as tho price of timber' increased with the lessening supply. Ho said that the cost of a brick or .concrete dwelling-house was from 18 per cent, to £0 per cent, greater than that of a wooden, housed In tho event of the price of timber advancing this difference in the cost of building would lessen, provided that thero was not a sympathetic pise in tho price of permanent materials. The price of bricks had gono up considerably during tho past few years. Jlr. Cuminmg '-undertook to call a meeting of members of his profession to consider matters concerning them in tho commission's order of reference, and' to supply the commission iu due course with, detailed information concerning tho relation of tho fuhrro timber supply. to tho.buildiug industry. Mr. Gumming- suggested to the commission the advisability, whero afforestation was undertaken, of choosing areas convenient to a market, and of considering the importance of climate and 'emperatm-e in regard to different trees.. Scotpli fir, for instance,, ■which throve mirhirablj- in Sweden, was a failure in England. Ho agreed with Dr. Cockayne that it would certainly provide nraoh valuable information if an examination (could be made of our older plantations, ahd'tlie timber of the trees as compared with the wood of the. same trees on their native soil. Mr. W.' B. Lcyland referred to the evi-' deuce submitted to a Eoyr.l Commission that the consumption of timber per capita had increased 91 per cent, iu America— a country where substitutes for timber were more largely used probably than anywhere else in the world. Mr. Leyland could not s.-e that a greater use of permanent building niateri.il would dccreaso the demand for timber. . Moro timber, though of lower grade, was used in tI.;V construction of' fcrro-couci-eto buildings than bad been formerly used in wooden buildings. In bis opinion (hero would bp no decrease whatever in tho demand for high-grade timber, whilo'tho demand for lower-grade limber would conliniio to increase. Mr. I.eyland remarked,. in llio course of his statement to the commission, that he could seo no objection whatever ■to tho planting of i limber in inland districts. Ity (he tinm ! that the timber had grown there would certainly be population to use it, and it was urgent that timely steps should be taken to cope with tho imminent scaroily of limber, throughout the country.