WATTLE-BARK INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 18, 16 October 1917, Page 8

WATTLE-BARK INDUSTRY

» ' AUSTRALIA'S rOSITiCLW The Minister of Forests (Mr. Livingston), replying rcuenlly to a question by Mr. Blackburn in tlio Lcirislaiive Aseeiubly, said that his attention had been directed to tlio cable message stilting twit tho British Shipping Controller had sanctioned the importation of 3000 tons of wattle-bark and extract a month, and that factories for tlio extract had been built in South Africa. He said t.bal., owing to tho closing of (lie German market, Natal exporters had had to find a now market in Great Britain. Germany used to tako two-thirds of Nalal's exports in bark, and of tho'othcr third, which was shipped to Great Britain, more than onehalf was re-exported to tho Conlinent, n.s british tanners preferred the Argentine quebracho, Canadian hemlock spruce, and ook bark. Noibing bad been done during I rocent years to develop the. export of bark or extract, from Victoria, as the bulk of Ibe wattle, land hold by private I owners bad been used for sheep grazing. The Forests Department liad about tOflO acres in voung wattle plantations, besides about 15,000 acres of naturally grown wattles in rcservets. The wattle grown in Natal"was of the black feather-leaved species (Acacia, mollissima), the seed of which was obtained from Australia and Tasmania about 40 years ago; Limited qunntities nt' black wattle-bark were sent to Australia from "Natal, where it was ohieHy cultivated and stripped by coloured labour. 11 was transported at a low freight, .frequently as dunnage, the Ministry would largely increaso its wattlo plantations, but (lie only way in which private landowners could lie encouraged to grow wattle-bark in largo quantities was by "iving a bountry which would enable tlioin to set. better returns'from wattlegrowing tban from glaring. The successful growing of .wattles was often jeopardised bv tile and by insect pests. The Inter-State Commission reported in l!)l.i that "If it- were thought desirable to stimulate the production, a bounty of XI per ton on locally grown bark used in Australia for fanning should prove ot 'advantage to tho grower."