WHITE PINE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 238, 26 June 1918, Page 8

WHITE PINE

r . . INDUSTRIES AFFECTED. 1 'A conference of parties interested in i conserving supplies of white pine hm- } ' ber for use in New Zealand industries . was held at the office' of the National i Efficiency Commissioner ; / (Mr. J. A. Frostick),, Christchurch. ' •. It was stated during the proceedings i ; that tbo fellmongory, butter-box, and j other industries in Canterbury using ' white pine. timber aro being affected ■ by the reduced "supply available, and '■■ ■ that the shortage will have a very'seri- ; oils effect. Already new cooperage ;. works were unable to supply sufficient . casks for pelts,-tallow, and other proi v dues. The following motion was car- '• ricd:— _...' . , , , "That evidence- has-been

} showing that white pine is going away ' from the Dominion at such a rate that ) within a very few years Hie supply will \ be exhausted; that at.-present the. fell- ; mongery industry is suffering for want ; of casks, coopers stating that timber is i unavailable because of shipments over- ! seas going away at considerably higher ■ - prices than has been.usual locally. We V recommend- that tho Efficienoy Board i should take steps to impress upon the V Government tho necessity jor securing 1 this class of timber purely for local re- ■ giiirements; also that a timber comj pany should not have the power to say ;'■ that no timber was to be sold in Now ;'•'.- Zealand,.price or no prioe." (■' Commenting on the matter later, Mr. '. Frostick stated that'if white pine and - other timbers wore taken out at the prei sent rate—even though reafforestation -. was taken in hand at once—the supi plies would be exhausted in a few years. ; It was a matter, he said, of great ■ national importance that the supply of \ timber should ba conserved for tho use / of the people of the Dominion. ■ '.■ In connection with this matter it is '-■ interesting to note that a cable message- \ from Melbourne on- Friday stated that i. a deputation representing the timber aud '[ butter trades waited on Mr. Jensen, pre- ; sident of the Board of Trade, asking « that representations bo made to tlie New I Zealand Government Requesting it not. 1 to prohibit- the export of white pine. i Mr. Jensen undertook to ask the Board '■: of Trade to agree to tho adoption of .: this course. . .