41

H.—24

machinist little whether he dresses the heart-side or out-side so long as the grain runs in the proper direction for his machine. As it is impossible to cut a board whose flat surface contains timber all one age, that portion which is oldest —being more compact—will shrink less than the younger wood towards the outside of a tree. If a board—green or dry—has one side exposed to the air and the other not it will tend to warp in the same way as a slice of bread does when being toasted; and this may be prevented to a certain extent if the heart-side is kept up or out, as the case may be. [Specimen exhibited.] No doubt paint or varnish will, to a certain degree, prevent this, but not sufficient to maintain boards with a flat surface. The only extra labour necessary to remedy this would be the turning end for end of an occasional board when dressing. In the panels of polished or painted work a careful tradesman will always see that the heart-side is out, as, should any warping occur, it will be round on the outside face, and not liable to show plane-marks and other defects in finishing. But, should the face side become hollow by the panel being wrongly inserted, every blemish will be easily discernible. The same rule applies to all veneered work, which has a tendency to be drawn hollow on the face side by the contraction of the veneers in drying. Another mistake which has unfortunately been too frequently made by colonial woodworkers is the fixing by glue or other means of wide boards, such as the tops of chests of drawers, sideboards, and tables, without allowing for the necessary contraction and expansion of the timber. The lateral dimensions vary so much by the action of dampness or dryness of the air that a piece of wide timber of any kind would act as a sensitive hygrometer. No doubt in a few years the extent of contraction and expansion considerably decreases, but not sufficiently to prevent a board fixed at both edges from being split from one end to the other by the action of the weather, whether inside or out of doors. In proof of this assertion one has not to go from home, but merely examine the top of a chest of drawers, or any other article of furniture, where a wide top has been fixed as described. The proper method is too well known to tradesmen, and need not be referred to. From what I have stated it will be seen that our timber is not at fault so much as the want of care on the part of many of those who are engaged in converting the raw material, as well as of many of the cabinetmakers and builders, who often neglect the most essential principles in construction. Exportation of Timber. —Although anxious to see our export returns augmented by the exportation of timber, I am not in a position to know if the state of our fast-disappearing forests will warrant such a large additional strain being maintained for any considerable time, and I should like to be convinced that we have sufficient to meet our own requirements—which are annually increasing—until such time that new forests could be planted and ready for felling. It seems more than probable that, as easy accessible forests become exhausted, timber must rise in value, and the time is not far distant when the cost of procuring our supplies from less accessible regions will be more than that of the imported article. If there is sufficient for our own consumption and to spare, then by all means let us foster the industry; but we must not fell timber all the year round, cut it up without due regard to the most approved methods," nor ship it in a green state. Supply good, sound, seasoned timber at regular intervals, and we need not fear success will follow. By-products. —It is encouraging to hear that a prospect of utilising many waste products of our forests is likely to prove successful, especially so with regard to tanning-barks, which can be obtained from several native trees. But, notwithstanding this, I hope this Conference will devote attention to the consideration of planting large areas of black wattle, which has proved suitable for growing in many districts throughout the colony, and producing a bark of high value, and that in a very short space of time. The manufacture of paper from wood-fibre has made immense strides of late in America and Norway, and I believe that most of our newspapers here are printed on wood-pulp paper. I understand, from inquiries made, that the plant necessary for manufacture is a very costly one ; but that perhaps, by the aid of a substantial bonus, we may expect such an industry to be established in the near future, especially as our local paper-mills already find a difficulty in obtaining a sufficient quantity of raw material, and are driven to import considerable quantities to meet their present requirements. Some doubt exists as to whether any of our native timbers are suitable for this purpose, but I am assured that white-pine, ribbon-wood, lacebark, cabbage-tree, and probably a few others, would be found suitable. Such an industry here would give a large amount of employment, and profitably convert immense quantities of waste products, the introduction of which would enable our paper-mills to compete with those abroad, and result in saving many thousands of pounds now annually paid for the imported article. Another item connected with the use of waste timber may be mentioned, for which there is an increasing demand—viz., garden-labels, and flower-stakes, both of which can be made from the very smallest scraps of timber. We import from England (though made in Germany) large quantities of these articles, of the worst material possible, which seldom lasts more than one season. In thanking you for the patient hearing afforded me, let me add that should any gentlemen, when in Dunedin, feel sufficiently interested to see the results of my experiments in drying timber, and manufacturing a number of our most useful timbers into complete suites of furniture and other useful articles, I shall be only too pleased to give them a hearty welcome. There are many matters connected with the timber industry that I should have liked to place before you, but the short notice I had to prepare a few hurried notes must be my excuse for not bringing them forward. On the motion of the Chairman, Mr. Matthews was accorded a vote of thanks for his interesting and valuable paper. 6—H. 24.