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TABLE 13. Imports of Sawn Timber and other Forest Produce. (From information supplied by the Comptroller of Customs. All figures refer to the years ended 31st December, 1926-28.)

During 1928, 60,516,000 ft. b.m., valued at £738,850, were imported, compared with 61,768,000 ft. b.m., valued at £784,720, in 1927, and 66,504,000 ft. b.m., valued at £826,450, in 1926. Hardwoods, chiefly from Australia, and in the form of rough-sawn timber for bridge and constructional work, poles, and sleepers, maintained a steady trade and price. Oak and other minor hardwoods for the various wood-using industries were imported to the extent of approximately 3 million feet b.m. during the year. In all, hardwoods account for approximately 44 per cent, of our total timber imports. Softwoods, in the form of Douglas fir for construction and interior finish, redwood and cedar for joinery and weatherboarding, and hemlock and spruce for dairy-produce containers and general boxing, were imported to the extent of 33,951,000 ft. b.m., valued at £308,290, compared with 33,197,000 ft. b.m., valued at £303,420, introduced during 1927. Douglas fir is imported mainly in large, sizes in the rough-sawn merchantable grade, the baulks being resawn locally, mainly into inch boards. The low price of the latter, combined with their lightness and ease of handling, owing to being thoroughly seasoned, has been largely responsible for their preference to the lower grades of native species for centreing and falsework in the construction of large buildings. During the past two years approximately 10 million feet b.m. of redwood and cedar have been imported. The imports in 1926 of cedar and redwood were in the ratio of 3 to 1, whereas the position has now been reversed, redwood being imported in place of cedar. The efforts of the Redwood Export Bureau in reducing prices and in establishing an agency in Australia, has resulted in a firm trade being established in New Zealand for the species. At the ruling prices, heart matai, rimu, and totara cannot compete with redwood for weatherboarding. Hemlock and spruce, which are imported mainly as dressed timber, showed an increase of almost 3 million feet b.m., due mainly to the heavy increase in the import of fruit-cases. Butter-boxes, too, increased in importation to the extent of 200,000 ft. b.m., while imported cheesecrates decreased by a slightly larger quantity, ft would appear that the latter are not so dependable as the white-pine and silver-beech crates. The importation of tanning-bark and wood-pulp fluctuates considerably. Thus 1,442 tons of tanning-bark and 2,382 tons of wood-pulp were imported during the year, compared with 865 tons of tanning-bark and 3,156 tons of wood-pulp during 1927. The price of tanning-bark has increased from £10 6s. per ton in 1926 to £14 6s. per ton in 1927 and £16 Bs. per ton in 1928, and it appears that these prices will force the use of local tanning-barks to a greater extent in the future. Wood-pulp maintained a steady price of approximately £12 per ton, as in the previous year.

1.026. 1927. 1928. Item. . j 1 —7 — Quaatity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Ft. b.m. £ Ft. b.m. £ Ft. b.m. £ Australian hardwoods .. 23,365,000 365,730 26,398,000 418,830 23,706,000 356,330 Douglas fir .. .. 16,937,000 120,460 17,638,000 125,680 16,713,000 116,850 Cedar .. .. .. 8,905,000 106,480 2,390,000 24,270 2,066,000 20,690 Hemlock and spruce .. 7,271,000 76,960 5,586,000 67,890 7,694,000 83,400 Redwood .. .. 3,500,000* 48,450 7,583,000 85,580 7,478,000 87,350 Other .. .. .. 6,526,000 108,370 2,173,000 62,470 2,859,000 74,230 Totals .. .. 66,504,000 826,450 61,768,000 784,720 60,516,000 738,850 Number. £ Number. £ Number. £ Laths, rails, palings, &e. .. 14,280,000 26,690 10,156,000 15,420 7,368,000 11,230 „ | _ Tons. I £ Tons. j £ Tons. £ Tanning-bark .. .. 2,250 j 23,240 865 | 12,350 1,442 23,650 Wood-pulp .. .. 2,710 35,880 3,156 38.470 2,382 28,910 * "Redwood estimated for 1926.