C.—3

Particular attention has been directed to the use of anti-sapstain chemicals to ensure the production of bright clean stock from the exotic pines, and the excellent results obtained under even the worst conditions of block stacking indicate that the small expenditure involved will result sooner or later in the almost universal use of such treatments for all exotic pine timbers other than those which are to be kiln dried. 83. The experience of the Service in the use of exotic timbers in its house building and constructional programme has demonstrated forcibly the necessity for further investigating the painting of exotic timbers. The resinous and relatively knotty nature of much of the exotic timber necessitates the development of special paints and painting methods, and to solve these problems a special set of exposure panels has been established and is being kept under close observation. 84. The adaptation of creosoted timber to a wide range of structures has been investigated. Specimen culverts, bridges, and fire-towers are in course of fabrication, and inquiries have been received for the supply of prefabricated timbers for both bridges and pontoons. The production of creosoted farm gates is also receiving attention. As referred to elsewhere in the report, large quantities of fencing-posts and telegraph and power poles are being produced, whilst it is anticipated that during the forthcoming year a market will also develop for creosoted mining props where other than temporary timbers are required. Section F. —Derived Products. 85. Far-reaching studies into the economies of local pulp and paper manufacture continue to be made, and the recent commencement in the southern States of the United States of America of the first newsprint-mill in the world to operate entirely on pine timbers as a substitute for the spruce, fir, and hemlock hitherto universally employed augurs well for the establishment of an industry in this Dominion which sooner or later will supply not only local but also a portion of the Australian newsprint requirements. 86. The necessity for conserving petrol supplies as a result of the war emergency has at last focused public attention upon the possibilities of wood charcoal as a substitute fuel, and as a result of its long-continued investigations into the use of charcoal-gas producers for both vehicular and stationary engines it has been possible for the Service to expedite the production of charcoal from a wide variety of indigenous and exotic timbers. Suitable types of beehive, portable, and makeshift kilns have been evolved and a number of officers trained for instructional purposes should any nation-wide programme of production prove necessary. CHAPTER X.—MISCELLANEOUS. Section A.—Legislation. 87. Legislation amending the Forests Act, 1921-22, was enacted by sections 24 to 29 inclusive of the Statutes Amendment Act, 1939 ; these widen the definition of " forest produce " and include the necessary consequential amendments. Section 7 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1939, amended section 18 of the Forests Act, 1921-22, by abolishing the reservation of any land as national endowment and declaring it to be ordinary Crown land, but did not affect section 39 of the Forests Act, 1921-22, nor section 3 of the Forests Amendment Act, 1926. Section B.—Finance. 88. The general increase in gross expenditure over the past few years is largely due to the fact that hitherto lack of finance prevented the application of very necessary silvicultural treatment to the valuable State exotic forest assets. The accelerated State planting from 1924 to 1930 and the national urge for strict economy in subsequent years prevented the introduction of fundamental forestmanagement plans and thus created arrears of work which must be overtaken at the earliest possible date. Added to this, the introduction of log sales in lieu of block sales, involving selective logging of overmature indigenous stands and the establishment of a modern sawmill and box-factory plant at Rotorua, have naturally increased the vote expenditure considerably.

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