KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1932.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1932 Session I-II, C-12

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._ 1932. NEW ZEALAND.

KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1932.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 5 of the Kauri-gum Industry Amendment Act, 1914.

Department of Lands and Survey, S IR; Wellington, Ist August, 1932. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report under the Kauri-gum Industry Amendment Act, 1914, for the year ended 31st March, 1932. I have, &c, W. Robertson, Under-Secretary, The Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands.

During the year business has been very dull, with practically no demand for the better (varnish) grades and a greatly diminished demand for the poorer (linoleum) grades. It has not been a question of price, or the competition of other gums, so much as a result of the world-wide depression in raw materials generally. Other varnish and linoleum gums have been affected in the same way, some to a much greater extent than kauri-gum. Whilst the demand has fallen off in all directions, it has been particularly so in the case of the United States of America, business with that country being duller and prices lower than for very many years past. To some extent the demand for linoleum grades has held up and some business has been possible, especially with Great Britain, but prices have, fallen to a very low level. Owing to the depressed conditions of the labour-market, gum-diggers were for the most part compelled to remain on the gumfields and accept whatever prices were offered, with the result that the output of gum has been much larger than would have been the case had other work been obtainable. The Department still has a comparatively small stock of gum in the hands of the Kauri-gum Control Board, consisting of chip gradings recleaned at the Board's gum-cleaning plant at Penrose. No reasonable offer could be obtained for the same during the year, and they are being held pending an improvement in the market conditions. Export of Kauri-gum. For the year ended 31st March, 1932, the export amounted to 3,164 tons, of the value of £124,757, an average price of about £39 per ton. The tonnage, value, and average price per ton of the export for the past twelve years are— Year ended Tonnage y . ■ Average. I 31at March, exported. • per Ton. £ £ 1921 6,131 524,701 85 1922 3,968 :.' 391,304 98 1923 6,080 520,409 85 1924 6,923 !. 640,712 92 1925 5,432 446,019 82 1926 5,495 414,420 75 1927 4,529 301,335 66 1928 4,531 267,559 59 1929 4; 566 241,223 . 53 >'."3/' 1930 4,941 264,452 53 1931 3,145 155,602 49 1932 3,164 124,757 39

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Details of the yearly export, and the country to which exported, from 1920 to 1932, are given below : —

Particulars of Kauri-gum exported from New Zealand from 1920 to 31st March, 1932, inclusive.

Pboduction during the Year. The kauri-gum received at Auckland from the gumfields for the past eight years is shown, month by month, in the following table : — Kauri-gum received in Auckland. 1924-25. 1925-26. 1926-27. 1927-28. 1928-29. 1929-30. 1930-31. 1931-32 Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons April.. .. 439 483 338 317 295 339 441 309 May .. .. 501 330 332 277 390 246 374 394 June .. .. 344 395 362 359 331 285 247 263 July .. .. 363 * 399 401 230 364 349 309 244 August .. 407 326 392 241 331 317 194 251 September .. 373 403 287 323 288 323 214 208 October .. 471 299 229 385 356 534 328 192 November .. 427 486 341 500 407 441 317 276 December .. 591 410 325 284 245 268 277 172 January .. 525 365 265 278 290 371 158 194 February .. 492 396 198 307 275 412 281 277 March .. 520 541 441 411 240 563 386 224 5,453 4,833 3,911 3,912 3,812 4,628 3,526 3,004

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Country to 1st April, 1920, to 1st April, 1921, to 1st April, 1922, to 1st April, 1923, to 1st April, 1924, to 1st April, 1925, to which exported. 31st March, 1921. 31st March, 1922. 31st March, 1923. 31st March, 1924. 31st March, 1925. 31st March, 1926. Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ United States of 3,224 345,992 2,487 266,922 3,742 367,946 4,197 449,117 2,624 250,379 2,682 211,623 America United Kingdom 2,544 149,422 1,297 104,094 1,960 129,082 2,409 170,785 2,360 169,975 2,350 179,868 Germany -, .. 58 3,574 70 3,363 66 2,832 117 6,367 107 4,670 Canada .. 314 24,481 89 9,641 109 7,462 118 7,714 97 5,726 101 3,569 Australia '.. 49 4,802 37 7,073 84 6,679 7 787 24 2,006 9 1,198 Belgium .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 l'168 France .. .. .... .. .. .. 55 5,855 79 5,121 135 9,136 Austria-Hungary .. .. .. .. Russia Netherlands .. .. .. .. .. 90 4,381 38 1,582 53 1,917 "46 1^809 Sweden .. .. .. .. 20, L.OOO, .,_.,. ,,..._. 20 820 .. Italy .. .. ... .. .. .. 1 170 26 1,647" 55 3,546 .. 2 Japan ■-•■•■ '■■■ , 4 .. .. 4 326 7 393 3 162 22 1,027 Hong Kong .. .. Denmark .. .. .. .. .. .. ....... ,...„..-. .. .. 10 350 Totals .. 6,131 524,701 3,968 391,304 6,080 520,409 6,923 640,712 5,432 446,019 5 495 414 420 = Country to 1st April, 1926, to 1st April, 1927, to 1st April, 1928, to 1st April, 1929, to 1st April, 1930, to 1st April 1931 to which exported. 31st March, 1927. 31st March, 1928. I 31st March, 1929. 31st March, 1980. 31st March, 1931. 31st March, 1932. Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons £ United States of 1,863 136,397 2,087 120,349 2,337 139,672 1,967 127,723 823 46,510 681 33,082 America United Kingdom 2,036 133,032 2,043 127,401 1,504 77,479 2,425 117,677 1,957 96,679 1,968 71572 Germany .. 127 5,432 119 6,613 234 7,949 100 2,646 62 1,508 52 6 725 Canada .. 144 7,181 165 6,329 209 7,448 202 7,169 127 4,726 173 4*156 Australia .. 15 911 33 1,448 8 408 106 3,908 37 1,423 65 1,862 Belgium .. 114 4,563 .. .. 60 1,094 30 635 43 975 69 1 154 Prance .. 89 6,980 60 3,915 150 5,206 89 3,764 71 2,701 94 4,173 Austria-Hungary Russia Netherlands .. 34 1,950 3 483 29 1,068 2 285 " 4 218 Sweden .. 46 1,929 1 132 10 282 32 "837 Italy .. .. 51 2,469 .. .. 10 127 .. Japan .. 10 476 20 843 26 772 20 645 11 "ō80 "30 i 1196 Hong Kong .... Denmark .. .. .. China .. .... 15 .. 25 .. .. .. ., '' South African .. .. .. 21 .. .. .. '' '_] Union — — ■ ___ . Totals .. 4,529 301,335 4,531 267,559 4,566 241,223 4,941 264,452 3,145 155,602 3,164 124,757 ___ I

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KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY ACCOUNT. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1932. Liabilities. £ s. d. Assets. £ s. d. Capital—Debentures at 4 per cent. .. .. 57,000 0 0 Realization Account—Assets in course of realization 7,323 11 7 Writings off reserve .. .. .. .. 7,268 10 2 Gum on hand .. .. .. .. 2,298 10 6 Treasury Adjustment Account .. .. 17,959 8 4 Advances on gum .. .. .. .. 25 3 2 Sundry debtors— £ s. d. Kauri-gum Control Board .. 249 10 7 Departmental .. .. .. 40 0 0 Miscellaneous .. .. .. 65 12 8 ■ 355 3 3 Investments, Public Debt Redemption Fund .. 829 19 6 Loss in Suspense .. .. .. .. 58 18 4 Accumulated loss to 31st March, 1931 (account abolished) .. .. .. .. 71,336 12 2 £82,227 18 6 £82,227 18 6 W. Robertson, Under-Secretary for Lands. W. E. Shaw, Accountant. I hereby certify that the balance-sheet has been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby. The following comment is appended : Stocks are shown at book value pending disposal.—G. F. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General. Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (715 copies), £4.

By Authority: W. A. G. Skinneb, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 932.

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