C.—3

14

The second important fact is that in the present exploitation of the forests fully 60 per cent, of the available wood product is destroyed. Economic waste occurs in the bush in the manufacture of timber and in its remanufacture and use. There is insufficient appreciation of the fact that excessive, clearing of the highlands in past years is responsible for the washing into the sea every year of innumerable acres of our best agricultural land, and for the increasing floods, landslips, and other evidences of unstable soil conditions. The lesson is written upon every farm and upon every home in the country. The barren wastes of Spain, Portugal, and Italy can quite easily be reproduced in New Zealand. Such a happening is unnecessary, for if the forest is regarded as a regularly recurring crop and not as a mine or a wasting asset it may be converted into a source of wealth and profit. This will require the treatment and reclamation of all forest lands to bring them into full bearing productivity, and as far as possible needless waste, must be eliminated by more efficient forest exploitation and by reasoned use. CHAPTER V.—GENERAL. Report of the Timber Trade for the Year ENDED 3.lst March, 1923. Production. The following table, showing the reported output in superficial feet of the various species of timber from New Zealand sawmills during the years ended 31st March, 192.1, 1922, and 1923, has been compiled from figures supplied by the Government Statistician:—

Reported Production of Sawn Timber by Species.

Graph showing Production of Rough Sawn Timber for Years ended 31st March, 1921, 1922, 1923.

The production for the year ended 31st March, 1923, was 3-5 per cent, lower than for the previous period, due mainly to the decreased exports of rimu and white-pine to Australia. An unprecedented activity in the building and constructional trades, fostered by generous Government advances for housing, is expected to result in a very much increased production of timber for the year ended 31st March, 1924. A graph has been prepared from figures supplied by the Government Statistician to show the trend of regional timber-production for the period 1895 to 1922. The statistics are compiled for provincial districts, which practically correspond with forest regions. Auckland and Rotorua regions combined, together with Gisborne (i.e., Auckland Province), still occupy the premier position. The relative positions of other regions remain unchanged from the previous year. Westland and Wellington, as the chief exporting regions, show the greatest decrease in production.

Sup. Bt. Kauri .. .. 20,393,788 Rimu .. .. 153,529,022 White-pine .. .. 73,168,750 Totara .. .. 17,984,189 Matai .. .. 21,329,043 Beech .. .. 6,348,594 Pinus radiata .. 9,711,918 Other .. .. 5,202,530 Totals .. 307,667,834 Species. 1921. Per Cent. ' Sup. Ft. 6-63 21,435,728 49-90 157,345,928 23-78 68,480,033 5-85 19,570,501 6-93 24,830,368 2-06 4,863,184 3-16 10,815,485 1-69 7,624,423 100-00 314,972,310 1922. 1923. Per Cent,. Sup. Ft. 6-81 22,460,759 49-96 155,627,936 21-74 66,088,219 6-21 20,843,718 7-88 23,747,049 1-55 5,227,018 3-43 ! 7,683,602 2-42 2,073,576 Per Cent. 7-38 51-13 21-72 6-85 7-80 1-72 2-52 0-88 100-00 304,351,877 100-00 The output for the year ended 3 st March, 1924, will be at least 330,000,000 sup. ft.