41

C—3

The industry, as has been stated, lias been fairly quiet during the year, and there is not much of special note to record. Two points might, however, be noted. The first is a wood-wool plant which has been installed by Messrs. Robertson Bros., sawmillers, Nelson. Most of the timber for this industry comes from outside the district, but the wood-wool is made in the city. The wool is used for packing apples and other articles, and the supply seems hardly equal to the demand. The second point of interest lies in the fact that orchardists are beginning to realize the value of a small timber-Supply of their own, and they are. planting belts of Pinus insignis round their properties. These trees will not only give shelter to the fruit-trees, but will also in the years to come afford the owner a supply of timber for his apple-oases, <fec. Canterbury. 11. I). M. Haszard, Conservator of State Forests (Commissioner of Crown Lauds). Native Forest and 'Timber Matters. The milling of native timbers in this district is practically confined to one small mill near Oxford, the total capacity of which, when in full work, would not exceed an output of 1,000,000 sup. ft. per annum. There is very little native bush remaining in this'distriot, and it is very difficult of access. This accounts for the smallness of the industry. What little, timber there is is nearly all beech (birch). Imported, hardwoods, such as ironbark, now take the place of native, timbers in the construction of bridges, &c, and redwood, Oregon pine, and Baltic pine are the timbers mostly used for houses. The rent and royalty received for timber cut on State forests during the year amounted to £536 3s. 3d. Those from national-endowment and Crown lands were nil. The present market prices for timber per 100 sup. ft. are as follows: -Red-pine (rimu): Undressed -up to 12 in. wide, 31s. 9d. ; over that size, 345. 9d. to 38s. 9d. ; dressed flooring, 355. to 40s. ; lining, 235. 6d. to 30s. ; weatherboards, 28s. 6d. to 355. White-pine (kahikatea) : First class, dressed, no quotations available ; second class, up to 12 in. wide, 28s. Black-pine (matai), 41s. to 435. ; veranda - flooring, 4 in. by 1 in., 16s. 6d. Totara, 535. 6d. ; dressed veranda - flooring, 4 in. by 1 in., 20s. 6d. Kauri, (flitch), 12 in. to 24 in. wide, 595. to 7.15.; dressed, 3s. extra ; rough, 12 in. to 18 in., 395. to 455.; T. and G. flooring, 60s. to 635. ; veranda-flooring, 21s. 6d.; shingles, 4 in., 935. ; 6 in., 160s. Local-grown timbers from exotic trees : Bluegum, 3 in. by 1 in., 4 in. by 1 in., 4 in. by 2 in., for studs, gates, &c, 245. Pinus radiata Weatherboards and scantlings, 9 in. by 1 in., 3 in. by 2 in., 4 in. by 2 in., 255. These timbers are coming more into common use, probably on account of the increasing cost of others. Imported hardwoods : Jarrah, unobtainable ; ironbark piles and posts, 3s. 6d. to 4s. per running foot. Softwoods : Redwood, 555. ; yellow-pine, 675. 6d. ; Baltic pine, unobtainable. Forest Fires. —During the year a fire occurred on the View Hill Forest Reserve, by which about 200 acres of native bush was very considerably damaged. There was also a small fire in the bush on the forest reserve on Annan Settlement, but the extent of the damage has not yet been ascertained. The supply of native timber being exhausted, Pinus radiata is coming into more frequent use for dwellings and sheds. This is mostly obtained from plantations under the control of the Selwyn Plantation Board, and from some private plantations. Westland. R. S. Galbraith, Conservator of State Forests (Commissioner of Crown Lands). The timber industry for the year ending 31st March., 1919, again shows a considerable further falling-off in output, the total being 40,140,200 sup. ft., as against 46,760,100 for last year, being a shortage of 6,619,900 ft. This is to a large extent due to the difficulty of obtaining machinery and material, especially iron rails for extension of tramways, the scarcity of suitable labour, and the influenza epidemic. Now that the war is over and the men are returning to the Dominion, conditions will no doubt gradually improve, and 1 anticipate a considerable increase in the output for next year, 'flic shipping facilities during the year have been satisfactory, and no mills had to cease work through lack of storage-space. There is a keen demand for timber, higher prices are being realized, and the industry generally is on a sound footing. Out of a total number of forty-three mills, seven are at present idle, chiefly owing to scarcity of labour and iron rails ; eight are working on freehold and twenty-eight on Crown lauds. Two large mills and three smaller ones are in course of erection. The larger ones when completed will be each capable of cutting 25,000 sup. ft., and the smaller ones 8,000 sup. ft., per diem. Of the. total cut of 40,140,200 sup. ft., 26,750,500 sup. ft. were taken off Crown lands and 13,389,700 sup. ft. off freehold lands : this comprised 33,820,200 sup. ft. of rimu, 6,000,000 sup. ft. of white-pine, and 320,000 sup. ft. of brown-birch (Fagus fusea). The only State forest in Westland is an area of some 600 acres in Kanieri Survey District, near Rimu, which has recently been proclaimed ; it contains about 400 acres of valuable timber, which has been appraised, and which it is intended shortly to offer for sale by public auction, but no revenue has been received from it during the past year. The rents and royalties received by this Department are as follows : £7,369 12s. Bd. from nationalendowment lauds, £177 Is. 2d. from Crown lauds, and £53 Is. from other endowments, making a total