Sawmilling Section.

Progress, Volume XVI, Issue 10, 1 June 1921, Page 232

Sawmilling Section.

[This Section is published by arrangement with the Dominion Federated Sawmillers’ Association (Incorp.) in the interests of the Sawmilling Industry of N.Z.] Acting Editor : ARTHUR SEED.

As most of our readers will have notea from paragraphs appearing during the last few weeks in the daily Press, Mr. Will Lawson has now commenced his active organising campaign on behalf of the New Zealand Forestry League. Besides being popular at present, Forestry matters and the carrying out of the Forest Policy recently laid down by Sir Francis Bell are matters of vital national importance, and it is to be hoped that Mr. Lawson will secure that response from the public which the importance of the matter deserves.

The organising campaign is designed to secure new members for the League, and an ultimate membership of some thousands is aimed at. In this way it is considered that the League will be able to voice public opinion on Forestry matters and carry sufficient weight with the Government and our politicians to see that the vigorous Forest Policy is carried into effect. Mr. Lawson’s first meetings are being held in Christchurch, and already the people of Canterbury are taking very great interest in the matter. * * * Our Sawmiller, readers will be pleased to learn that Mr. W. T. Irvine’s health is very much improved, though it is doubtful whether he will be quite fit to resume duties for a month or two yet. He is at present staying in Hawke’s Bay. % % % At the lecture recently delivered by Mr. A. R. Entrican before the Philosophical Institute at the Dominion Museum, there was a most interesting display of various woods, both imported and local, and among them was an exhibit of tool handles manufactured at Otautau by the firm of Messrs. Thomson, Georgeson and Co., from Southland Beech, also dowels for the furniture manufacturer. The opinion of experts who inspected the exhibit was that these handles were quite equal to the imported article, as were also the dowels; and if such articles as these can be locally manufactured from our own timbers it is highly important that such industry should be protected and encouraged in every possible way.

Recently also we were fortunate in being able to inspect the office furniture at Messrs. Reese Bros, office in Christchurch, which is also manufactured from Southland Beech, and various articles of furniture are stained to represent walnut, mahogany, etc., and the appearance and finish of the articles in question are excellent. We would advise all those who are interested in New Zealand timbers to visit Messrs. Reese Bros, and see what beautiful furniture can be made from this Southland Beech, and especially would we recommend our architect friends to take advantage of seeing these articles when they happen to be visiting Christchurch.

The following items are from the Australian Forestry journal of April 15th, 1921 :

The world’s forests are being so depleted that from Brazil comes the statement that reforestation of the eucalyptus tree is proposed. hive years suffice for the growth or the tree to a commercial size, and the expense is calculated at 3s. sterling per cubic metre of wood. * * » In a speech at a cricket match at Nundah between the Queensland Forestry Service and the Brisbane Timber Merchants, Mr. ft. H. F. Swain (Director of Forests) urged employers and employees to work in close co-operation so that me independence of the State Timber Industry migui be maintained. He said the timber position was grave, as shown by figures published in America. In 1913 45,000 American sawmills were drawing ■ material from 800,000,000 acres of forest land, ana turning out timber at 3s. Qd. per 100 sup. ft. Wages were then lod. per hour per man. Six months ago the price increased to 16s. per 100, the average rate of pay to employees being £1 per day. Since then wages had dropped to ids. a day, and the cost of sawn timber on the market was actually below the price of production. Not long ago a large consignment was sent from the United States to Melbourne at 17s. per 100 super feet, including cost of production, insurance and freight. How was the Australian industry to compete against such odds, Mr. Swain asked. The trade had to face enormous importations from Borneo, japan, America and Russia, and would have little confidence in the position unless Australian millers could feel that they were getting a fair deal from the Australian Board of Control. The timber industry needed increased protection, and that by instituting an adequate tariff barrier. If a tariff of, say, Ho a house were imposed, the Queensland timber trade could face the future without undue qualms. A tariff of ss. per 100 would raise £1,000, c00 in Customs revenue, and if only one-half were funded for carrying out national forestry and national housing, the people of Australia would have returned to them, with interest, the small amount they paid in duty. * * * Lord Lovat, Chairman of the British Forestry Commission ( vide cable message, to the Sydney Daily Telegraph), quoted an epigram attributed to Mr. Lane Poole, of Perth, West Australia, that “ Australia’s forestry policy was to make one blade of grass grow where two trees grew before.” The Empire’s timber resources amounted to 1,200,000,000 acres, about one-third economically procluctible. Conservation was imperative,, otherwise famine prices were anticipated. In future prices would remain 200 per cent, above pre-war prices.