KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1933.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1933 Session I, C-12

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1933. NEW ZEALAND.

KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1933.

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, Wellington, Ist August, 1933. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report under the Kauri-gum Industry Amendment Act, 1914, for the year ended 31st March, 1933. I have, &c., W. Robertson, Under-Secretary. The Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands.

During the year market conditions were very unsatisfactory. Prices fell to a point where the average digger could not make a living wage, and even at such prices, the demand was never firm, at times gum being practically unsaleable at any price. So small and intermittent was the demand, that even the fact that the two largest holdings of gum in the City of Auckland, totalling over 600 tons, were destroyed by fire during the year did not cause any apparent increase in demand or any firming of prices. Shipments to the United States of America were the smallest for many years. The demand from Great Britain and Europe held up a little better, especially for linoleum gradings, and this undoubtedly prevented a total collapse of the industry. As a result of the small demand for the better (varnish) grades much of the medium- and lower-priced varnish-gums were crushed into chips and mixed with the poorer (lino) grades making a superior lino grade not generally obtainable. During the year some direct measure of assistance was given the industry in the way of grants by the Government and the Unemployment Board for the purpose of making small advances against gum consignments to diggers in necessitous circumstances who were unable to sell their gum. It was subsequently decided bv the Unemployment Board to find work for such diggers under one or other of its schemes, with the result that there was an immediate drop in the production of gum., and at date many of the diggers are still employed on relief works and are producing little or no gum. The Department's comparatively small stock of re-cleaned chip gradings m the hands of the Kauri„um Control Board was still unsold at the end of the year, but it is expected that during the coming year the fall in production and the small stocks available will allow the disposal of this gum without depressing the market or unduly interfering with the sale of gum reaching the market. Export of Kauri-gum. For the year ended 31st March, 1933, the export amounted to 2,056 tons, of the value of £57,970, an average price of about £28 per ton. The tonnage, value, and average price per ton of the export for the past twelve years are — Year ended Tonnage Value Average 31st 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 1930 4,941 264,452 53 1931 3,145 155,602 49 1932 3,164 124,757 39 1933 2,056 57,970 28

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Details of the yearly export, and the country to which exported, from 1921 to 1933, are given below :—

Particulars of Kauri-gum exported from New Zealand from 1921 to 31st March, 1933, inclusive.

Production during the Yeae. 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. 1925-26. 1926-27. 1927-28. 1928-29. 1929-30. 1930-31. 1931-32. 1932-33. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. April.. .. 483 338 317 295 339 441 309 405 May .. .. 330 332 277 390 246 374 394 245 June .. ~ 395 362 359 331 285 247 263 144 July .. .. 399 401 230 364 349 309 244 153 August .. 326 392 241 331 317 194 251 43 September .. 403 287 323 288 323 214 208 128 October ... 299 229 385 356 534 328 192 176 November ... 486 341 500 407 441 317 276 182 December .. 410 325 284 245 268 277 172 188 January . . 36-5 265 278 290 371 158 194 167 February .. 396 198 307 275 412 281 277 213 March .. 541 441 411 240 563 386 224 .185 4,833 3,911 3,912 3,812 4,628 3,526 3,004 2,229

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Country to 1st April, 1921, to 1st April, 1922, to 1st April, 1923, to 1st April, 1924, to 1st April, 1925, to 1st April 1926 to which exported. 31st March, 1922. 31st March, 1923. 31st March, 1924. 31st March, 1925. 31st March, 1926. j 31st March, 1927. Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ United States of 2,487 266,922 3,742 367,946 4,197 449,117 2,624 250,379 2,682 211,623 1,863 136,397 America United Kingdom 1,297 104,094 1,960 129,082 2,409 170,785 2,360 169,975 2,350 179,868 2,036 133,032 Germany .. 58 3,574 70 3,363 66 2,832 117 6,367 107 4,670 127 5'432 Canada .. 89 9,641 109 7,462 118 7,714 97 5,726 101 3,569 144 7,181 Australia .. 37 7,073 84 6,679 7 787 24 2,006 9 1,198 15 'gil Belgium 33 1,168 114 4,563 France .. .. .. .. .. 55 5,855 79 5,121 135 9,136 89 6,980 Austria-Hungary Russia Netherlands .. .. .. 90 4,381 38 1,582 53 1,917 46 1,809 34 1,950 Sweden .. .. .. 20 1,000 .. .. 20 820 .. .. 46 l'929 Italy .. .... .. 1 170 26 1,647 55 3,546 .. 2 51 2^469 Japan .... .. 4 326 7 393 3 162 22 1,027 10 476 Hong Kong Denmark ,. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 350 !! !! China .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. jg Totals .. 3,968 391,304 6,080 520,409 6,923 640,712 5,432 446,019 5,495 414,420 4,529 301,335 Country to 1st April, 1927, to 1st April, 1928, to 1st April, 1929, to 1st April, 1930, to 1st April, 1931, to 1st April 1932 to which exported. 31st March, 1928. 31st March, 1929. 31st March, 1930. 31st March, 1931. 31st March, 1932. 31st March, 1933. Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ United States of 2,087 120,349 2,337 139,672 1,967 127,723 823 46,510 681 33,082 268 11,208 America United Kingdom 2,043 127,401 1,504 77,479 2,425 117,677 1,957 96,679 1,968 71,572 1,298 36,150 Germany .. 119 6,613 234 7,949 100 2,646 62 1,508 52 6,725 70 1 104 Canada .. 165 6,329 209 7,448 202 7,169 127 4,726 173 4,156 169 3'l57 Australia .. 33 1,448 8 408 106 3,908 37 1,423 65 1,862 91 2'251 Belgium .. .. .. 60 1,094 30 635 43 975 69 1,154 15 '230 France .. 60 3,915 150 5,206 89 3,764 71 2,701 94 4,173 83 2,452 Austria-Hungary Russia Netherlands .. 3 483 29 1,068 2 285 4 218 Sweden .. ] 132 .. .. .. .. 10 282 32 837 11 218 ftaly •• 10 127 31 555 Japan .. 20 843 26 772 20 645 11 580 30 1,196 24 645 Hong Kong Denmark China .. .. .. 25 South African .. 21 Union ——* — Totals .. 4,531 267,559 4,566 241,223 4,941 264,452 3,145 155,602 3,164 124,757 2,056 57 970 i

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KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY ACCOUNT. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1933. Liabilities. £ s. d. Assets. £s. d. Capital: Debentures at 4 per cent. .. 57, 000 0 0 Realization Account —Assets in course of Writings-ofi'reserve .. .. •• 7,339 15 1 realization .. .. •• 17 1 0 Treasury Adjustment Account .. .. 17,805 8 4 Gum on hand .. .. .. 2,298 10 6 Advances on gum .. .. .. 819 8 Sundry debtors: Kauri gum Control Board .. .. • ■ ■. 249 10 7 Investments, Public Debt Redemption Fund .. . . .. .. 829 19 6 Losses in Suspense .. .. .. 7,339 15 1 Accumulated loss (account abolished, 31st March, 1931) .. .. .. 71,401 7 1 £82,145 3 5 £82,145 3 5 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 states 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.

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