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cut out, but north of Mohaka. the conditions of the industry are sound, and the demand for timber keeps steady, with the result that all the mills have ready sale for their output. Number of Mills working, &c. —Ten mills in all have worked during the year, the sawn output from the log of each kind of timber during the year being as follows: Rimu, 3,118,775 sup. ft.; matai, 163,691 sup. ft. ; white-pine, 2,217,612 sup. ft. ; totara, 13,0.16 sup. ft. ; birch, 19,706 sup. ft. Royalties and Rents received from licenses and sales of timber from Crown lands, £107 10s. Net Wholesale Prices. Per 100 sup. ft. : Rimu- -0.8., 15s. and 16s. to 20s. 3d.; chum 0.8., 18s. to 19s. Matai 0.8., 15s. mid His. to 20s. 3d.; heart, 19s. (3d. to 28s. Totara Clean heart, 445. and 15s. White-pine -Ordinary, 205.: clean, 225. 6d. Kauri- First class, 425.: rough heart, 375. (id. Approximate, Duration of Supplies. — Under present conditions the trade supplies in lower part of the Hawke's Bay District will probably not last more than three or four years, and so far as the northern part of the district is concerned it may last from twelve to fifteen years at present rate of cutting. Utilization of Timber formerly little used.- There is an increase in the production and use of Pinus insignis and poplar. Silver-beech is not utilized so far in the southern end of Hawke's Bay District. There was practically no destruction by fires. There is a, clamant need, for a. vigorous afforestation policy to make provision for future requirements in view of the fast disappearing bush here, as elsewhere. Wellington. G. IL M. McClurk, Conservator of State Forests (Commissioner of Crown Lands). The general condition of the, sawmilling industry is sound, and orders are numerous. Forty-nine mills are in operation, cutting from 80,000 to 300,000 sup. ft. per month, a mean average being 150,000 sup. ft., or a total of 75,600,000 sup. ft. per annum, the principal timbers being rimu, 45 per cent. ; totara, 15 per cent. ; matai, 30 per cent. ; and kahikatea, 10 por cent. The net wholesale cash prices per 100 sup, ft. on trucks are as follows : —Rimu : 0.8. scantlings, 19s. ; 0.8. boards and planks, to 9 in. wide, 20s. (clean, 245.) ; 0.8. boards and planks, to 12 in. wide, 21s. (clean, 255.) ; | in. full-cut rough lining, 8 in. or 9 in. by | in., 12s. 6cl. ; f in. rough lining, T. and G., (i in., 8 in., or 9 in. by -| in., 19s. 6d (dry, 225.) ; 0.8. rimu, 4 in. or 6 in. by § in., T.G. and B. or V., 225. 6d. (dry, 255.) ; rough heart, to 9 in., 225. ; rough heart, 10 in. and 12 in., 28s. ; building heart, to 9 in., 365.; heart, 10 in. and 12 in., 385.; clean heart, to 9 in., 365. ; clean heart, 10 in. and 12 in., 38s. Matai: ('lean heart rustic or T. and G., 345. 6d. (dry, 375.); rough heart rustic or T. and G., 275. 6d. (dry, 295. 6d.); 0.8. rustic or T. and G., 245. (dry, 265. 6d.'). Totara: 0.8. scantlings, 21s. ; clean 0.8. boards, 255. (dressed 275. (id., dry 2s. (id. extra) ; rough heart, 255. ; building heart, 395.; clean heart, 11s. 6d. Specified lengths in scantlings Is., other sizes 25., per 100 ft. extra. No milling-timber has been destroyed by fire during the year, and the above-mentioned are the. only classes of timber at present being milled. The time-sheet of an average mill will total £500 per month ; running-expenses, royalty, oil, belt-ing-repairs, and renewing plant, £250 per month. During the war tin 1 output fell about 33 per cent., but is'now practically normal. Royalties received : From State forests, £39 ; rents, £267 ; from timber cut on Crown land, £2,364 ; national endowments, £547 : total, £3,178. Marlborough. 11. ,1. Lowe, Conservator of State Forests (Commissioner of Crown Lands). The timber industry in this district is gradually dying out on account of the milling-timber in the native forest being almost exhausted, and unless beech (birch) timber becomes more popular commercially the end of the industry so far as this district is concerned is within sight. During the year ten mills have been in operation, seven in the northern portion of the district and throe small plants in the Kaikoura district. Two old-established mills have closed down, leaving eight working at the close of the year. Of these five (including those in the Kaikoura district) are cutting on private property, the balance being one on Crown lands and two on State forest. About half the output of the northern mills is absorbed between Blenheim and Nelson, but the southern plants do not cut sufficient for the local requirements. The amount of royalties received, during the year was as follows : Crown lands, £305 16s. Id. : State forests, £1,228 9s'. 7d. ; land for settlements, £80 J9s. 4d. : total, £1,615 ss. The net wholesale prices per 100 sup. ft. charged for the different timbers are as follows : 0.8. rimu, 235. 6d. ; clean heart rimu, 295. 6d. ; white-pine, Is. 6d. less than rimu; matai, 355. ; beech (birch), 375. The prices at Kaikoura for imported timber are generally dearer, being -for local production of all sorts of timber, 20s. ; for imported timber, 0.8., on wharf, 30s. ; heart rimu, on wharf, 455. ; heart matai, on wharf, 445. ; heart totara, on wharf, 495. ; white-pine, on wharf, 375. 6d, The approximate duration of the industry is five years, although, with isolated and at one time unpayable patches of timber, the diminishing supply, through exhaustion, and the attention now being directed to Pinus insignis, the industry may be prolonged for a few more years. There are some very fine, plantations of exotic timbers, but not sufficient to supply the annual consumption.