TIMBER INDUSTRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 7, 30 March 1927, Page 7

TIMBER INDUSTRY

POSITION OUTLINED A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT In view of the close attention given to the timber industry of late, a very comprehensive report on the trade recently issued by the Hon. R. F. Bollard. Minister of Internal Affairs, should prove of considerable interest. During the year ended March 31. 1926, the returns of factory production collected by the Census and Statistics Office show that there were 374 sawmills engaged in the production of rough sawn timber during that year, against 369 recorded for the previous year. Altogether 353,224,196 super, feet, of all species of timber was produced, this figure showing an increase of 9,129,322 super, feet or approximately 3 per cent, over the output recorded in 1924-25. The output of rimu (red pine) which comprised approximately 55 per cent, of the total rough sawn timber produced in 1925-26 fell just below the output in the previous year by approximately 121,000 super, feet. This is of particular interest in view of the mild boom in the production of this species of timber during the two preceding' years. From approximately 156 million feet in 1921-22 the output jumped to 181 million super, feet in 1923-24 and further to 196 million in 1924-25. Kahikatea (white pine) accounted for 75,634,869 super, feet or 21 per cent, of the total output in 1925-26. representing an increase of 10.062,430 super feet, or 16 per cent. The output of this timber shows an irregular movement during the last five years the 1925-26 figure being the highest recorded since 1919-20 when the production amounted to 81,369,931 super, feet. In the output of matai (black pine), an increase of 2,193,320, or 9 per cent, over the previous year was disclosed, the total for the year being 26,141,027 super feet. The output of kauri 22,765,877 super, feet fell short of that in 1924-25 by approximately 126,000 super, feet, while other and unspecified showed an increase of 1,520,152 super, feet, or approximately 9 per cent. In the production of totara a substantial decline of 4,399,975 super, feet, or 24 per cent, was recorded, the total produced for the year being 14.109.57 G super, feet. During the year 7,565 people were employed in the production of rough sawn timber, and salaries and amounted to £1,855,934. The value of the timber produced in -2i amounted to f 3,438,079, a decrease of £30,020 in comparison with the value recorded for the previous year’s output. The values of sawn timber nroduced since 1921 are as folloV £3,272,203; 1922-23, £3,048,220: , 9‘>3-‘>4 £3,164,569; 1924-25, £3,468,099; 1925-26, £ 3,438,079. It should be noted that these figures were based on the average selling price at the mill, and it is interesting to note that although there has been an increase in the output the value of the 1925-26 production has decreased.