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TCxport of Native Timbers, The return furnished by the Comptroller of Customs shows the total export of native timber io have been 70,747,737 sup. ft., which is 6,768,11!) sup. ft. less than for the previous year. The total value of the native timber and bark (28 tons, valued at .£462) exported was £419,884. Owing to the fact that the war has made it impossible for Australia to get her ordinary supplies of softwoods from America and the Baltic, there has been a keen demand for New Zealand softwoods by Australian merchants. White-pine and kauri are the chief timbers exported, but the export of rimu is increasing. There is also a small export of Southland beech (Nothofagus Menziesii) to Australia, and it is probable that after the war a good market for this timber will be found there — that is, if our own requirements do not necessitate action of a restrictive nature. Imports of Timber. The amount, of timber imported during' the year was (excluding laths, rails, posts, and shingles) 12,864,363 sup. ft., including 3,171,473 sup. ft. of Oregon pine, which was 6,247,927 sup. ft. less than for the previous year. The total value of all timber imported was £139,095, being £51,808 less than for the previous year. The quantity of tan bark imported was 4,426 tons, valued at £46,480. In 1913 the quantity of timber imported was 46,907,877 sup. ft., which, together with round logs, laths, rails, posts, &c.-, was valued at .£504,882. This big drop in imports is probably duo solely to the effect of the war. RUVHNUI RECEIVED PEOM ROYALTIES AND SALES OF NATIVE TIMBEE. The revenue received during the year as royalties and rents from State forests was £10,536 13s. Id., which was paid into the State Forests Account. The revenue received from licenses and sales of timber on national-endowment lands was £13,531. The revenue received from timber licenses and sales of timber on Crown lands was £10,063. The total of above amounts was £34,130 13s. Id. These receipts have been credited to National Endowment Account and Territorial Revenue respectively, and were not available for forestry purposes. The total for the previous year was £32,247. Increase in Prices of Timber. The prices given below are merchants' prices at Wellington, and it will be seen that there has been a considerable rise over the price for 1917. The rise is attributed mainly to increased wages that have to be paid for labour in the bush and in the mills, and to increased cost of machinery, wire rope, belting, oils, &c. The increased value that our ordinary building timbers have readied will tend to cause more care in the logging and milling operations, and in this way will lessen waste; higher values will also increase the use of some of the timbers that arc at present milled only to a very limited extent.

Price per 100 Superficial Feet.

Though the above figures show that even in this Dominion there has been since 1909 a large rise in the value of timber, it is nevertheless small when compared with the rise that has taken place in the United Kingdom, for there the average value of 10,204,000 loads (which was the average amount of wood and timber, not counting products of wood) annually imported between 1909 and 1913 was £27,561,421; in 1915 the imports had dropped to 7,668,000*10ad5, but the value had risen to £32,788,324; whilst in 1916 the imports had dropped to 6,319,000 loads, and the value soared to £40,199,469. In January, 1913, 3 in. by 9 in. second Archangel white-spruce was Is. 9d. per cubic foot, whilst in December of 1917 the price of the same material was 6s. 2d. per cubic foot, or £2 11s. 6d. per 100 ft. superficial for a timber inferior to our ordinary buildingriinu. Increasing Importance of Timber. In a report of the Reconstruction Committee (Forestry Sub-Committee) of the Ministry of Reconstruction (London, 1918) it is stated that there has been a steady rise in the price of timber since 1865. Between the years 1895 and 1913 there was a large increase in the United Kingdom in the consumption of coniferous timber and an increase in price of one-third. No substitute has been found for cpniferous timber, which every year, either as timber or as pulp, is being used for new purposes throughout the world. Great Britain's ability to carry on the war has been due to the vast supplies of timber which have been imported from abroad. Timber has proved to be absolutely essential for the rapid construction of war works. The War Office alone in one year consumed 1,200,000,000 sup. ft. Through neglect to grow her own supplies Britain during the war has had to get her supplies from abroad. In doing this 13 per cent, of the total shipping was employed, which was more than the tonnage used for grain imports. The ships

1909. 1917. 1918. Ordinary Building. Clean Heart. Ordinary Building. Clean Heart. Ordinary Building. Clean Heart. Rimu White-pine Matai .. Kauri .. s. d. 14 6 13 6 s. d. 24 0 s. d. 16 0 16 6 s. d. 35 0 s. d. 18 6 21 6* s. d. 40 0 39 0 48 0 22 6 29 6 33 0 43 0 * Clean sap whii i-pino suitable lor butter-boxe )S and coopcraj ;o is 23s. 6d. per 100 sup. ft.