EXPORT OF TIMBER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 213, 28 May 1918, Page 6

EXPORT OF TIMBER

Sir,—Regarding the agitation now before the country with a view to prevent tho export of timber, one is prompted to ask: Is it a just and reasonable policy to adopt? It would be difficult to forecast what the result would be if it ivero given effect to, £8 quite a lot of millers depend wholly on tnc export of timber. Many milling propositions have been calculated and based upon the facilities for an export trade, while most other mills rely on a part local trade and part export.

If export of timber was prohibited -all tho output would be thrown on tho requirements for the Dominion, and as each miller would endeavour to make tho best of his capital invested, and machinery erected, it would be a reasonable prediction to say the market would bo glutted with timber and 'jompetition so keen that it would probably lead a number of millers to bankruptcy. The points raised by the millers would ibe: "Why should ha bo prevented from export while farmers are allowed to export meat, butter, cheese, wool, and othor produco?" If export of farm produce was prohibited, the same results would happen tho farmer. The public might get cheap meat, butter, etc., yet it would bo disastrous to tho prosperity of tho Dominion. Tho principle would be the same in each case. Then what are the arguments? On the miller's 6ido he can safely argue that the State, and farmers havo'i been the greatest destroyers of timber in tho Dominion. Many hundreds of thousands of acres of some of our finest timber have been cut down and burned to enable the settlers to mako use of the ground, whilo thousands of .icros of clear country arc at tho presont time iron, producing. The Stato has always helped tho farmer to what he wants, sometimes without much <jonsidcration, the destruction of timber apparently befrt'g ono of the things ignored. Now that the timber is becoming scarce, and it can be seen in a few years' timo thero will be a difficulty in getting the requirements to supply the demand for houses, sheds, fencing, cases, and boxes,it is suggested that all export bo stopped.

This, of course, would enable the sufplj to bo spread <ver a greater timo, but in doing r,o tho present owners of bushes and sawmills would bo sacrificed at thfl expense of tho farming industry. Their plants and capital would more or less bo sacrificed to meet the requirements or tho people who did their utmost to destroy the forests, their argument being; that timber is a diminishing asset that cannot be replaced, while sheep, meat, butter can be supplied to meet the deiiiands of tho Dominion and still export timber, and now that the industry has not been cared for, but, a policy of destruction gono on with, a further sacrifice is asked for. There seems no reason why legislation, could not be put into operation to compel farmers to grow belts of timber round their farms for future requirements ns well as shelter. The shelter to stock and crops would in all probability bo a gain equal to the loss of ground, outside tho value of. the timber when! matured. It is no doubt much easier to put the burden on some other shoulders, but is . it a fair and just thing to do? Tho Tanners are the most prosperous peoplein tho Dominion, and have been assisted in every way by the Stato. It should I now bo time for some of; them to assist themselves by planting trees to meet theif future requirements. The - matteris one too great for tho State to tindertake alone, but if every farmer had to help, large ureas could soon bo planted and the likely timber famine be greatly curtailed. Tho argument that timber is a diminishing asset would then be greatly discounted, and injustice to tho limber industry avoided!. The fact i'f stopping export of timber only temporarily gels over the difficulty, and afforestation or importation will have to bo faced before long. There is time now to save the position if put into execution at once. Some timbers that aro suitable for commercial requirements aro fast-growing trees, notably poplar and fir trees. In Vol. XL]I, Ku. 1091, "Country Life," December 1, 1917, priuted in England, is an article that shows what value these timbers are now, and their suitability. Timber is being sold for as much as MVi per acre, poplar trees at as much as £12 10s. each. _ If the people who require the export of, timber to be stopped buy out the present mills and bushes and adopt afforestation, and make any sacrifice come ou their own shoulders, instead of endeavouring to put it on others, it would lie a fairer and more jnst policy.—l am, etc,, SAWMdLLEIL