KAURI INDUSTRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 243, 4 January 1928, Page 1

KAURI INDUSTRY

“A BRIGHTER PROSPECT” AMERICAN VISITOR’S OPINION Although he does not want to encourage false hopes, Mr. Charles C. Chopp, of Cleveland, Ohio, believes that a slightly brighter day may shortly dawn for those people interested in the kauri gum industry. Mr. Chopp arrived in Auckland by the Niagara, and will continue to Australia, Dutch East Indies, the Straits Settlements, the Philippines, Hongkong, China and Japan. He has been round the world more times than most Aucklanders have been to Wellington. With him on this trip is Mr. V. A. Marus, and Mr. Chopp and Mr Marus are president and secretary respectively of the World’s Products Trading Co., managing export agents for some 22 large American manufacturers in the State of Ohio, and agents for a number of Neif Zealand houses, including Charlea Andreae and Co., of Auckland. "Post-war urgency required promptness and mass production,” remarked Mr. Chopp to THE SUN. ..“This had its effect on everything, but particularly, so far as you are concerned, on the paint and varnish trades. The result was that in the motor and furnishing t ides pyroxilin or nitro-cellu-lr-a lacquers almost replaced the varnishes used previously. Before that kauri varnishes were used almost entirely in motor-car work and highgrade furnishings. “Things are now getting back to a proper basis, and the furniture man is finding it better to use varnishes for his best goods, and the possibilities are that, if this continues, there will be a better demand for this New Zealand product. Kauri is not the only raw material that has suffered in America, cotton being the only one that has not seriously declined. “However, industrial history shows very few cases of synthetic substitutes taking the place of raw materials. Prior to the war, the Glidden Varnish Co., with which Mr. Chopp was connected, consumed £IOO,OOO worth of kauri annually, and was the big gest consumer in the world. The automobile industry is not likely to return to kauri varnishes. The party will be in Auckland for about a week, and will then tour the south for a fortnight .before proceed ing to Australia. With them is M. Jean a silk merchant, of Paris and London.