WHITE PINE EXPORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 134, 3 December 1938, Page 11

WHITE PINE EXPORT

AUSTRALIAN TRADE

THREE-YEAR PLAN MOOTED

Provided the Australian Tariff Board approves, permission will be given for the export of 17,000,000 feet of white pine to Australia over a tharee-year period. In explaining the position, the Commissioner of State Fort'sts (the Hon. F. Langstone) said that he? understood that the board would consider the question in the next few da3 rs.

The Minister said that some> weeks ago a delegation from the Sawxnillers' Federation' had visited Australia with a view to encouraging the otport of timber from New Zealand to Australia. The delegation had ascertained! that there was a demand for New Zealand white pine if the people in Australia could be given some guarantee of supplies over a period. The Aulstralian Tariff Board had been consideikng the matter.

Canada was anxious to export hemlock to Australia for manufactuire into butter-boxes. For the past two or three years, because of the shortage of white pine supplies in the Dominion, the export of white pine to Australia had been prohibited. Queensland had been supplying New South Wales and Victoria with hoop pine for ■'butterboxes, but the position had now arisen that Queensland would not be able to supply the full requirements >o-f the market under three years. SUPPLIES AVAILABLE. "We have at the moment about 16,000,000 feet of white pine ifii the yards of various New Zealand Jbutterbox factories," said Mr. Langstone. "We also have 400,000 boxes ixx our stores at Frankton and Feildingj. On going into the matter thoroughly I as-j certained that we could supply the, Australian market with about 17,(000,000 j feet of white pine over a threie-year period, 7,000,000 feet in the firstt year and 5,000,000 feet in each of the) other two years. This would give injimediate relief to our surpluses in hantd, and also enable arrangements to be; made for a rationed supply of white ftine to the Australian market. !, { "I understand that the Ausifaralian Tariff Board is to consider this tion within the next few days.; In I making its decision in regard tcf the importation of hemlock from Canada the board will naturally want to know what supplies of white pine are Available pending supplies of hoop 1 pine from Queensland. After giving aM the issues involved very serious consjjdieration I advised the Australian Trade Commissioner in New Zealand \ and I also the Prime Minister of Australia what New Zealand is prepared tip do, but the matter is really in the 1-iands of the Australian Tariff Board, lit the board concurs the export of this titanber will be allowed." CONTROLLED EXPORT. Mr. Langstone said that apart tfrom the present negotiations he had ajgreed to allow 5,000,000 feet of white pine to be exported under licence this year, because of New Zealand having more stocks on hand than it required. This was brought about by the reducti<Mi in the production of butter and the new supplies of timber coming on the market. How much of that timber had already been exported he could not say.

Representations had been made to the industry in Australia to use the. sap rimu box as a container for butter. If this were agreed to it should be. of material help in the disposal of a lot of the sap rimu timber that weis a drug on the New Zealand market at the moment.