C.—3

18

With an expanding dairying industry in several States of the Commonwealth, it is anticipated that the export trade of white-pine for dairy-produce containers will continue to increase. It is certainly significant that Australia, which is endeavouring to improve the marketing of its dairyproduce on the European markets, continues to prefer New Zealand white-pine containers to the Scandinavian and North American spruce boxes which are so widely used in this Dominion. The decreased trade in rimu as compared with the previous year was no doubt due to the intensive competition by Scandinavian and American timbers, but with the revised tariff in favour of the New Zealand woods, Australia should absorb an increasing quantity of this species, and already inquiries and orders reflect this trend in the trade. Beech exports registered a new peak record, exceeding 3,000,000 ft. b.m. for the first time in the history of the trade. This species has a wide variety of special uses, and does not suffer from competition so much by other species imported into Australia as by local hardwoods. Having regard, therefore, to the general trade depression of the Commonwealth, it is not improbable that the export trade in beech will decrease temporarily. Ultimately the trade should increase very materially. A slight increase in the export of kauri was registered during the period under review, 2,123,000 ft. b.m., with an average f.o.b. value of 48s. per 100 ft. b.m.; being shipped during the year ended 31st December, 1929, as compared with only 1,670,000 ft. b.m., valued at 425. 9d. per 100 ft. b.m., exported during the previous year. The high price of this species debars it from any but special and luxury uses, and no considerable increase in its export can be anticipated. While the quantity of miscellaneous timbers exported shows a decline as compared with previous periods, it is anticipated that the trade will improve during the current year. Matai continues as the most important of the miscellaneous species shipped abroad. 4. Imports. The import trade for the year ended 31st December, 1929, reached a total of almost 63,000,000 ft. b.m., which represents an increase of about 2,500,000 ft. b.m. over the 60,500,000 ft. b.m. importations for the year ended 31st Deceniber ; 1928, although still considerably below the peak importation of of 82,000,000 ft. b.m. during the year ended 31st December, 1925. Primarily, the import trade in timber differs from the export trade in the large proportion of hardwoods which it includes. Approximately 40 per cent, of the total imports are of hardwoods, whereas of the exports only 8 per cent, are hardwoods, the remainder in both cases being softwoods. (" Hardwoods " and " softwoods " are the commercial terms applied to the woods produced by broad-leaved and needle or scale-leaved trees respectively.)

TABLE 9. Imports of Sawn Timber and other Foeest Produce.

Notes. —(1) Value represents value in country of export, plus 10 per cent. (2) Allowance has .been made in compiling totals for the fact that for duty purposes dressed timber under 1 in. in thickness is tallied by the Customs Department as if its thickness were increased by 20 per cent. (3) The Customs returns are more itemized than in previous years. To make the above statistics strictly comparable with the items listed in previous annual reports, the items " butter- boxes " and "cheese-crates" should be included under "hemlock and spruce," "oak," and "ash, hickory, &c.," under " other."

(From information supplied by the Comptroller of Customs. All figures refer to the years ended 31st December, 1927-29.) 1927. 1928. 1929. Item. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value Ft. B.M. £ Ft. B.M. £ Ft. B.M. £ Australian hardwoods .. 26,398,000 418,830 23,706,000 356,330 22,116,000 334,430 Douglas fir .. .. 17,638,000 125,680 16,713,000 116,850 16,188,000 113,840 Redwood.. .. .. 7,583,000 85,580 7,478,000 87,350 11,678,000 130,310 Hemlock and spruce .. 2,346,000 22,940 4,903,000 45,210 4,108,000 39,580 Butter-boxes .. .. 1,807,000 25,830 2,006,000 28,770 3,147,000 42,530 Oak .. .. .. 1,837,000 51,620 2,041,000 52,590 2,514,000 66,670 Cheese-crates .. .. 1,433,000 19,120 785,000 9,420 1,373,000 15,210 Cedar .. .. .. 2.390,000 24,270 2,066,000 20,690 1,335,000 13,530 Ash, hickory,.&o. .. .. 160,000 6,130 149,000 5,950 161,000 6,700 Other .. .. .. 176,000 4,720 669,000 15,690 210,000 7,140 Totals .. .. 61,768,000 784,720 60,516,000 738,850 62,830,000 769,960 Number. £ Number. £ Number. £ Laths, palings, shingles, &c. 10,156,000 15,420 7,368,000 11,230 14,215,000 20,230 Tons. £ Tons. £ Ton". £ Tanning-bark .. .. 865 12,350 1,442 23,650 1,918 23,210 Wood-pulp .. .. 3,156 38,470 2,382 28,910 4,327 50,650