EXPORT OF TIMBER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3415, 20 February 1920, Page 5

EXPORT OF TIMBER.

WHY IT PROCEEDS. AUSTRALIAN COAL IN RETURN. The Government has been blamed in some quarters for permitting the export of timber to Australia at the present time, when there is an apparent shortage of timber within the Dominion. Referring to this matter on Tuesday, the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey) said that the position did not appear to be generally understood. It was a fact that certain quantities of timber were being exported ?to Australi°3.. The reason was. -that the New Zealand Governm‘e"nt had entered into a reciprocal arrangement by which the Commo-nwealtli was to allow the export of coal to the Dominion in return for certain New Zealand timber, essential to the ConlllloxlWealt'h butter industry. “Not merely coal, but also salt, sriper-pliospliates, wheat, and hardwoods are required in New Ze'aland,” added Mr Massey, “and we have to look ‘to Australia, where export is under the control of the Commonwealth Government, for a large proportion of these supplies. Another point is that boats bringing coal from Australia -to Newvzealand have been sent back loaded on the return voyage. They take timber e'<ll‘gCe‘s, in accordance with the arnangement with the Comnionwealth Government. It is interesting to note that for ‘the four months from July 1 last a total of 4,438,000 feet of timber was pi.-odnced, which is equivalent to upwai-as.j"or 25,000.000 feet for the year. The export of timber for the period amounted to 1,245,000 feet only, equivalent to about 3,500,000 feet for the year, as compared with an export of 10,454,000 feet for the year ended March 31, 1918. R