KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1934.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1934 Session I, C-12

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1934. NEW ZEALAND.

KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1934.

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

Sib, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist August, 1934. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report under the Kauri-gum Industry Amendment Act, 1914, for the year ended 31st March, 1934. I have, &c, W. Robertson, Under-Secretary. Tae Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands.

During the year market conditions on the whole have not been very satisfactory. For the medium grade (varnish) gums —although at times there has been an intermittent demand—prices were low and orders small. For the lower grades (linoleum) a fairly good demand existed during the year, but prices were low and buyers were in a position to dictate as to quality. As a result, large quantities of better grades had to be crushed and mixed with linoleum gums to meet the qualities demanded. Some improvement in the American demand was noted during the year, but, as hitherto, Great Britain is still the chief customer. A good proportion of the gum exported to Great Britain, however, is re-exported to the Continent, where a fair demand exists. With the return of prosperity there is no doubt some demand will exist for the better varnish grades, but there seems little doubt that the new synthetic gums have partly supplanted natural gums, including kauri, and that at least a considerable part of the former trade has been definitely lost. As anticipated in last year's report, the remaining stocks of the Department's chip gradings in the hands of the Kauri-gum Control Board were able to be disposed of during the year without depressing market prices. Export of Kauri-gum. For the year ended 31st March, 1934, the export amounted to 3,378 tons, of the value of £83,945, an average price of about £25 per ton. The tonnage, value, and average price per ton of the export for the past fourteen years are — Year ended Tonnage , T . Average 31st March, exported. • 7 f au P er £<»• 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 1934 3,378 83,945 25

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Details of the yearly export, and the country to which exported, from 1922 to 1934 are given below :—

Particulars of Kauri-gum exported from New Zealand from 1922 to 31st March, 1934, inclusive.

Production 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.

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Country to 1st April, 1922, to 1st April, 1923, to 1st April, 1924, to I 1st April, 1925, to | 1st April, 1926, to ! 1st April, 1927, to which exported. 31st March, 1923. 31st March, 1924. 31st March, 1925. | 31st March, 1926. ; 31st March, 1927. I 31st March, 1928. Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ United States of 3,742 367,946 4,197 449,117 2,624 250,379 2,682 211,623 1,863 136,397 2,087 120,349 America United Kingdom 1,960 129,082 2,409 170,785 2,360 169,975 2,350 179,868 2,036 133,032 2,043 127,401 Germany .. 70 3,363 66 2,832 117 6,367 107 4,670 127 5,432 119 6,613 Canada .. 109 7,462 118 7,714 97 5,726 101 3,569 144 7.181 165 6,329 Australia .. 84 6,679 7 787 24 2,006 9 1,198 15 911 33 1,448 Belgium .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 1,168 114 4,563 France .. .. .. 55 5,855 79 5,121 135 9,136 89 6,980 60 3,915 Austria-Hungary .. .. .. .. .. .. Russia .... .. .... Netherlands .. 90 4,381 38 1,582 53 1,917 46 1,809 34 1,950 3 483 Sweden .. 20. 1,000 .. .. 20 820 . . .. 46 1,929 1 132 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 20 843 Hone Kong .. .. .. .. . . .. . . .. . . .. .. . . Denmark .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 350 China .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. . , 15.. 25 South African .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 Union — — —— Totals .. 6,080 520,409 6,923 640,712 5,432 446,019 5,495 414,420 4,529 301,335 4,531 267,559 Country to 1st April, 1928, to I 1st April, 1929, to 1st April, 1930, to i 1st April, 1931, to ! 1st April, 1932, to 1st April, 1933, to which exported. 31st March, 1929. ! 31st March, 1930. 31st March, 1931. ! 31st March, 1932. j 31st March, 1933. ,,31st March, 1934. Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons.j £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ United States of 2,337 139,672 1,967 127,723 823 46,510 681 33,082 268 11,208 875 30,174 America United Kingdom 1,504 77,479 2,425 117,677 1,957 96,679 1,968 71,572 1.298 36.150 1.730 37,218 Germany .. 234 7,949 100 2,646 62 1,508 52 6,725 70 1,104 325 5,093 Canada .. 209, 7,448 202 7,169 127 4,726 173 4,156 169 3,157 94 2,530 Australia .. 8 408 106 3,908 37 1,423 65 1,862 91 2,251 120 3,355 Belgium .. 60 1.094 30 635 43 975 69 1,154 15 230 11 208 France .. 150 5,206 89 3,764 71 2,701 94 4,173 83 2,452 143 3,642 Austria-Hungary Russia Netherlands .. 29 1,068 2 285 4 218 .. Sweden .... .. .. .. 10 282 32 837 11 218 20 461 Italy .. .. 10 127 . . .. .. . . 31 555 28 494 Japan .. 26 772 20 645 11 580 30 1,196 24 645 32 744 Hong Kong .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. 26 Denmark .. . . .. .. .. China .. .. .. .. .. .. • ■ ■ ■ • ■ • • • • • • South African .. .. .. .. .. .. Union 1 Totals .. 4,566 241,223 4,941 264,452 3,145 155,602 3,164 124,757 2,056 57,970 3,378 83.945

1926-27. 1927-28. 1928-29. 1929-30. 1930-31. 1931-32. 1932-33. 1933-34. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. April.. .. 338 317 295 339 441 309 405 240 May .. .. 332 277 390 246 374 394 245 161 June .. .. 362 359 331 285 247 263 144 238 July .. .. 401 230 364 349 309 244 153 162 August .. 392 241 331 317 194 251 43 150 September .. 287 323 288 323 214 208 128 219 October .. 229 385 356 534 328 192 176 320 November .. 341 500 407 441 317 276 182 326 December .. 325 284 245 268 277 172 188 209 January .. 265 278 290 371 158 194 167 165 February .. 198 307 275 412 281 277 213 325 March .. 441 411 240 563 386 224 185 289 3,911 3,912 3,812 4,628 3,526 3,004 2,229 2,804

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KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY ACCOUNT. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1934. Liabilities. £ s. d. Assets. £ s. d. Capital: Debentures at 3-| per cent. .. .. 57,000 0 0 Realization Account .. .. .. .. 15 1 0 Writings-off reserve .. .. .. .. 1,591 12 11 Advances on gum .. .. .. .. 211 10 Treasury Adjustment Account .. .. 17,802 1 4 Sundry debtors, Kauri-gum Control Board .. 8 14 0 Cash : Consolidated Fund—Deposits, miscellaneous 951 0 3 Investments, Public Debt Redemption Fund .. 829 19 6 Losses in Suspense .. .. .. .. 1,591 12 11 Accumulated loss (account abolished, 31st March, 1931) .. .. .. .. .. 72,994 14 9 £76,393 14 3 £76,393 14 3 W. Robebtson, Under-Secretary for Lands. Wμ. E. Shaw, Accountant. 1 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.— -J. H. Fowler, Deputy Controller and Auditor-General.

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