TIMBER EXPORTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1924, Page 4

TIMBER EXPORTS.

FACTS AND FIGURES. When the building conference in Wellington reached the stage o' discussing the kinds of timber that should be used in Hoofing, the proceedings livened up considerably. The reioinniciidalion before the conference was that several New Zealand woods should be allowed as well as approved imported timbers. -Mr A. .]. Paterson, who bad continuously protested against some of the New Zealand timbers adopted in the earlier discussion, moved as an amendment "that all imported timbers lie allov-

A member: "As approved.'’ Mr Paterson: "No. Not approved. All the imported timbers are bcllci than at least five ol the timbers named in this li't. Tile Government talks abinil Mopping exportation, blit 1 think it is wrong to have an absolute prohibition. If timbers could go out tor box-making, etc., and be returned in good imported timbers, we would gel bouses that would last." A member: "And the sawmilb-rs would want to put Ills entraine duty on to it.”

DEFINITION OF SAP. A few minutes later there was a si.mew Inn acrimonious discussion on the definition of sum. and Mr A. I!. Entrican, engineer. State Forest Service. prudin ed several rrltit'iis. lie said that in the North Island, due to belter grading prnetiies and belter tim hers, :i:I.S7 per cent of heart timber was nroditecd. and Uhl-! per cent of o.h. These figures were taken from six mills over a period of six months. On the West Coast the per cenlage ran down to approximately JJ to I I per cent heart in the eleven mills from wliieh returns were procured. At the same time there was no doubt that what lie bail said on a previous occasion about i lie regrading ol the West

Coast timber was .orrcrl. Regrading Was undoubtedly done by the incrthunts in Wellington. There was also no doubt about another fact, and that wu- that the people in Australia liked the belter grades ol timber, though this was denied hv the sawmillers.

.Mr S. M. Stone . Wollinototi P.reioti Snwmillers) siiid there seemed to him lo he it cerlitin itlliotmt oi’ I'oelino rnrtliiito between the I);•]>:!rtini-nt ami title o| tlie -.ertion-, lie was representi m; Ihe snwmillers. iiml tvits in :i position to say (Hat certain oi' .Mr i'hitriean’s retnarhs were contrary lo tact. The statmienl he objected to was that the sinvinillers were pet tine another class out of tile timhcrs to the detriment of the saw millers in the South. Mr Kntricitn said he miiilit not have as ntiich experience as -Mr Stone, Inti he Air Knl ricitn) stood hy wlutL lie had slated. Air Stone; "So do I."

Another dclegat • rose to speak

Mr I’aters.mi: "Oil-ean wanted." .Mr Ktiiiieau said the Wellington merchants had the facilities locally In ivehiss the tiinhers, ami it appeared that the limber could be better reclassified here than at the mills. ITo was not saying anything detrimental whatever. The timber merchant played a very important part in the affairs of the community.

AI'KTIIA 1.1 A WANTS SOKT TIMBER. .Mr .1. Ilntler (Anckliiml) said a very OXtOllsivO experience enabled liim to say that ihr- A listralian buyers did not tviiiit lu'iiii lindior. In n great ninny discs they objected to it. It wns the soil timber they wanted. In his ease, over many millions ol tcet that had been exported, there had never been a heart timber order from Australia. One of tlie West Coast delegates also agreed that practically no heart timber was sent to Australia. Mr .1. Mexwell (Auckland': "Is it not a fact that the best kauri timber is exnorled to Knglatld r" Mr ’.Maxwell : "We are allowed to ship A 1(1,0(10 feet out annually to whereever we please. Of that the Kauri Timber Company's (junta is 330.000 feet. We have an output, roughly, of HI.tiOII.OOO to 17.000,000 feet per annum. and 030,000 feet cannot account, for much. The timber sold is mostly for brewer's vats and the decking ol boats. At one time we shipped up to 40,000.000 feet. The discussion then dropped.