EXPORT OF WHITE PINE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10607, 4 June 1920, Page 5

EXPORT OF WHITE PINE

PROHIBITION IMPRACTICABLE. HON. SIR F. BELL’S STATEMENT. The Hon. Sir Francis Bell, Commissioner of State Forests, has forwarded the following reply to representations made by dairy factory delegates and managers as to the necessity of prohibiting the export of white pine:— The letter points out that it has not been found practicable to entirely prohibit the c.yporb of white pine owing to the following facts:—(l) That a large amount of timber has been cut on land which had to be cleared in connection with the greatly increased settlement that has taken place during the last few years in districts where there was a comparatively small or no demand for the timber, ;Which would, therefore, have been wasted had it not been exported. (2) That a large proportion of the timber produced from a white pine log js of on inferior quality, for which in New r Zealand there is only a small_ demand, while in Australia there is a keen demand for it. (3) That there has been a shortage of coastwise shipping from West Coast porta to northern ports, thus preventing the local use of much of the timber produced. It is also pointed out that though the export of white pine has not been 1 entirely prohibited, it has, under the Board of Trade regulations, been limited to a maximum of 40 per cent, of the total production, and that, in addition, in most ease* where licenses to cut or sell standing timber on public or private lands are issued under the regulations made under the authority of section 34 of tho War Legislation and Statute Law Amendment Act, 1918, there is now imposed a condition that none of the timber cut may Va exported.