BOX TIMBER

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 223, 14 May 1932, Page 3

BOX TIMBER

ROTORUA PLANTINGS POSSIBLE DEVELOPJVIENT OF SECONDARY INDUSTRY MR. CLINKARD'S YIEWS The possibilities of utilising the Government forestry plantations in the Rotorua distriet to provide the timber for a box manufacturing industry are being investigated by the member for the distriet, Mr. C. H. Clinkard, M.P. In an interview with a "Morning Post" representative yesterday, Mr. Clinkard stated that he considered that a flourishing sscondary industry j could be founded in Rotorua along these lines and that he proposed enlisting local support before taking up the matter with the Government. ; Mr. Clinkard pointed out that at the : ; present time, New Zealand was exporting over one million fruit boxes per annum, and that the timber for | these boxes was almost entirely be- • ing obtained from pinus insignus ■ grown in the eountry. However, these ' supplies were running low owing to : the fact that large plantings of these trees made hy the early settlers were now almost cut out. However the pinus insignus plantings in the Rotorua dis- : trict were now suffieiently forward 'I to supply an ahundance of suitable , imaterial, which could be rapidly and • 'eeonomically milled by the use of the , lastest modern machinery. Very up-to-date conversion had recently been patented in Canada, and this would be very suitable for the 1 purpose. These machines not only cut the timber into suitable bo'x lengths but carried out every other Operation short of putting the box together. The machinery was not expensive and he considered would prove an excellent investment if installed adjacent to large supplies of suitable box timber such as were available in this distriet. Extent of Market Mr. Clinkard stated that he had :not yet ascertained the full extent of the market which would he available, but he had proceeded farenough to be able to state that it was extensive. Unfortunately, the timber in the plantations would not, be suitable for butter boxes, but there was at the same time a very large diemand for other clas'ses of boxes and crates for which it would he suitable.

' Ile proposed, so soon as he had accumulated the necessary data, to lay the whole matter before the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce with a view to creating a public opinion in favour of the scheme, and forwarding the matter with the Government. In this connection, Mr. Clinkard pointed out that this scheme would not be in any way antagonistic to the existing proposals to develop a pulping industry in the distriet. When all the planted a'reas were available for milling, he considered that there would he ample timber to supply both industries. The necessary machinery for establishing a pulping industry would be considerably more expensive than that required to commence box manufacturing, and it should therefore be possihle to commence the latter industry at an eaflier date. Mr. Clinkard expressed the opinion that while land development unquestionally offered the most promising avenue for directing men hack into productive employment, it could not reasonably be expected that the land would absorb the whole of the 50,000 workless in the eountry. That being so, there was an urgent neeessity to explore all likely avenues for developing secondary industry, and of concentrating upon the production of many articles which we were at present importing from abroad. He considered that there were several directions in which secondary industries could b'e developed in the Rotorua distriet, and he proposed discussing the question with local bodies and business men at an early date.