AUSTRALIAN TIMBER

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1933, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN TIMBER

OPPORUNITY FOR ENTERPRISE

IMPORTS INTO BRITAIN

LONDON, January 20

British builders, engineers, and archf. teeth have become more interested in exhibits of Australian following upon 'successful experiments in the Forestry Research Laboratory at Princes Risborough,

It 'is being emphasised that the British desire to draw upon the Dominions for a substantial proportion of th e £60,000,000 worth of timber imported annually by Britain presents an exceptional chance for Australian enterprise. Colonel Cosgrove, liaison officer between th e trade and the laboratory, said that Australia must wake up. She has some of the world’s fine s t timbers, yet gome trial consignments have been "pure muck.” Forty per cent of a recent consignment of brush box for a leading builder was a disgrace. Colonel Cosgrove displayed s amples ot the timber. They wer e badly knotted, split, unseasoned, and roughly dressed. He added that th© chief detrimental factors were careless, inadequate and incorrect seasoning and gracing. Mr Herbert Taylor, secretary to the Furniture Trades Federation, said that hie industry favoured Empire timbers, but the Dominions, particularly Australia, seemed loath to study it® requirements in the direction of suitable shipments, with economic organisation before their production. The should be in planks, boards and bulks of requisite sizes, properly tfrieu nu-> graded, so that the purchaser could know what he would receive. The possibility of markets for Australianfinished hardwoods tor decorative timbers wa® unlimited.