98

C.—4

Canada, however, that we must look for much of our timber-supply when our indigenous forests are nearly cut out, and our afforestation operations are not sufficiently advanced to meet the whole of the local demand. Australia will also furnish a fair proportion of hardwood timber for some time to come ; but there again it is found on careful examination that the forest resources are not nearly so large as had been thought. The particulars that have been ascertained by the Western Australian and New South Wales Royal Commissions are sufficient to show us that the question of supply and demand even in these vast State's requires to be systematically studied, and it is quite possible an export duty may eventually be placed on much of the valuable Australian timbers for which New Zealand and other countries may indicate a growing preference. At present, however, there it a large open market that is available for our timber-merchants, and supplies of suitable timber appear likely to remain reasonable in price and sufficient in quantity for another decade. It has been suggested that a profitable market may be opened up in Manchuria and Siberia, and timber-merchants both in New Zealand and Australia are now making careful inquiries with a view to ascertaining the various kinds of timber grown in those countries, and their suitability for local needs. It would seem that the trade is already established in the Commonwealth, as the Tasmanian timber industry is reported to have felt the competition of Manchurian pine timber very much recently. The following summary serves to show the quantities of timber imported into New Zealand of late years, and the countries from which it is derived : —

(A.) TIMBER-SUPPLIES IN EUROPE. Summary of Wooded Areas in Great Britain.*

Year. Logs. Laths and Shingles. Posts, Palings, and Rails. Sawn, dressed. Sawn, undressed. Logs, hewn. Australia: 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 ■ i ■ No. 2,302 2,627 4,665 4,140 3,787 No. No. 1,232,150 647,120 1,727,917 575.719 1,675,533 684,116 1,169,282 737,580 1,599,107 803,232 Sup. ft. 62,292 87,988 118,971 73,403 64,433 Sup. ft. 11,175,250 10,755,822 12,233,205 13,783,644 21,336,462 Sup. ft. 4,477,255 2,914,307 5,815,297 10,404,396 14,452,000 Canada. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 9,575 65,625 803,600 37,550 11,572,878 7,300 *869 15,330 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 11 Nil. Nil. Nil. 38 62,000 I Nil. 100,000 Nil. 650,000 Nil. 1,565,080 4,500 6,264,929 Nil. United States. 759,264 139,305 907,788 152,083 4,166,629 2,46b 6.503 18,207 17,356 15,001 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 .. i 6 Nil. 18 Nil. Nil. 25,000 Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 650 Nil. 1,644,500 Nil. 62,305 40,795 45,066 34,381 100,422 Other Places. 24,162 7,900 3,910 6,600 10,931 157,513 94,201 79,692 189,351 74,829 886 4,857 5,952 7,524 19,078 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 , Nil. 10 Nil. 61 Nil. 320,000 Nil. 100,000 3,400 Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 1,000 Nil. I

Total Area. Area under Woods. Cultivated Area. Mountain and I Commons and Grazing Land. Field Lands. England Vales .. icotland Acres. 32,381,908 4,748,398 19,069,674 Acres. 1,715,473 184,361 868,409 Acres. 24,560,399 2,787,514 4,863,473 Acres. 2,401,263 1,319,982 9,080,729 Acres. 1,950,917 681.855 Nil. Total 56,199,980 2,768,243 32,211,386 12,801,974 2,632,772 * Particulars extracted from ation, 1908, linutes of evidence taken by the Royal Commission on Coast-erosion and Afforest-