Page 5 Advertisements Column 3

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 282, 18 July 1888, Page 5

for inspection at the offices of the Solicitors for the Company in Melbourne

and Aiicklnnd. The accompanying cvtractb indicate the opinion^ of competent authorities and the glowing uppicciation ot Kauri Timber in the Colonies and Great

Biifcain. .Applications for Shares- will be received until the 28th day of July in&t , which will be deemed the dote of application, by JNh. (ieorge Holdbhip, at the Oflice.s of the Auckland Timber Company, Limited, in Auckland, and through any of the Brokers of the Company. Dated at Melbourne, this 7th day of July, 1888.

EXTRACTS REFERRED TO IN PROSPECTUS

The following extracts are from the e-\idence given by Mr Allison Smith, Locomotive Superintendent on the Victorian Railways, before the Forests Commission in April, 1887 :—: — "I our position, both in New Zealand and heie, affords you exceptional opportunities of knowing the \alue of colonial timbers V — Yes. < Would you be good enough to ?ay if any of the colonial timbers are used in New Zealand v — Nothing else but the colonial timber i« used. And what timber principally ? — For the framework, both of carriages and waggons, blue gum and ironbark. Grown where ? — On this side. Some of it comes from Tasmania, and some from New South Wales — jarrah and some of the other gums are used. We do not know the names of them over there so well as they are known heio, but all the eucalyptus timbei.s are used exclusively for the framing of carriages and waggons, and nothing else has been used there for the last twelve years. You ha\e spoken of the framework ; now as to the other parts ? — As to the othei parts, we u&c kauri and rimu principally. Are both these New Zealand timbers '! — Yes, both of these are New Zealand timbeis. That applies to the carriages ? — Carriages and waggons. Are the sides of the waggon kauri also ? —Yes, both sides, ends, and Uoors. Do you find that the wood answers as well as the hardwood you have been speaking of for frames ? — No, these timbers are pines, and are not specially suitable fur fiamework. They take the place oi the Baluc timber which is used heie for similar purposes. In Victoria ?— ln Victoiia :so that you are bringing inferior timber all the way from the Baltic, when you can get New Zealand timber close at hand and of better quality. And of what kind of timber are the frameworks of carriages consti ucted in Victoria ? — A laige quantity ot blackwood has been u&ecl, and also lai-fre quantities ot teakwood imported lrom Rangoon. Do you consider that the teak is equal to the hardwood of New Zealand ' — There are many advantages in teak. It is a light timber, and easily worked, but it is a \ery expensive one. and I think that, under the circumstances, the balance would be in favour of the colonial timber by a very long way. So tluit this curious state of things exists at the present time in New Zealand — they arc constructing carriages and waggons of Australian timber, when -u c in Australia are constructing our carriages and waggons ot Indian timber '!—-]Not! — -]Not waggons — carriages. Carriages only ? - Ye-* ; but in die waggons a groat deal of timber trom the Baltic is used. Notwithstanding that the Australian timber '! — New Zealand timber is more suitable for the sides and cuds and floors. But for the frames ''. — For the frames, blackwood is used from Tasmania. 1 think you do not quite follow me. What I desire to put il^i 1^ this, that you state that in Now Zealand they use Australian timber for the frames V — Ye«. And in Victoria they use what timber '!—ln! — In Victoiia they use both blackwood | and teak. But no Australian hardwood '! — No, not Australian hardwood as distinguished from blaekwood. So that a country away from Australia is using Australian timber, while Australia itself is ignoring it ? — Ves\ Is it cheaper '! — Yes, and 1 like it better. What kinds do you recommend ?—lronbark? — Ironbark gives the best result*-, but k they are well seasoned all the timbers are good. 1 suppose yon have had some tests applied to enable you to .say so? — Ye-s many tests. Have you any figures to show the results of those tests?— Yes. 1 have got them with me, but I will put in a table. What quantity of Australian timber do you suppose could be used by the department per annum ? — Do you mean used by the department itself, and also usod for the department in the shape of contracts '' Quite so. — The quantity is enormous, but I cannot tell you without reference to the storekeeper. And you know no valid reason why it should not bo used? No* and, in fact, we ha\c already built an expciimental car to show that it can be done hero. The Commissioners' carriage is built entiiely of ii on bark and kauri. And that is a success vv — Yes. And if it were adopted by the Railway Department for sides and floor.", a large trade would be developed V— Yes, no doubt it would. ,Do those figures apply to Victoria ? Is that the price landed here or the price in New Zealand ?—lt? — It is hard to say exwctly. The mere cost of bringing it over in schooners from the Kaikoura or Auckland is not very great. It is only about five days by schooner. Does anything of interest strike you about the question of timber ? — A point that has often suggested itself to me here is that I see such enormous quantities of Baltic timber imported into the colony of Victoria u hen thei'e is really a very much better timber in the shape of pine wood to be got in New Zealand. A number of the pines which have been grown here have been planted — have you tried them ? — No, I have not tried them • but they would not be lai-ge enough yet for timber. You see the great value of the kauri pine is that it grows about 180 feet long and pefectly straight • and the trees grow as much as eight feet in thickness in the trunk, and there is not a single knot to be found in the timber at all. In which part of New Zealand are they to be found ?—ln? — In the North Island. If not useful to us, it would be to posterity ?— Yes ; and it is the most useful timber I have ever come across anywhere. It is useful for house-build-ing, for ship- building, tor rolling-stock of every description ; in fact, for every puvposo you can put timber kauri is useful. Is it subject to white ants?— l do not think so. We have no white ants in New Zealand, so I do not know whether it is subject to them or not ; but I think not. It is full of resin. Would you recommend the planting of kauri, then, in preference to any other pine? — Yes. Ido not know a more useful tree in the world. 1 might say that the question of Nevv Zealand timber has been written about by Dr. Hector over there ; and if it would be any use to you, I might get one of his reports.