PUTTER BOX TIMBERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 10867, 4 June 1918, Page 4

PUTTER BOX TIMBERS

RESTRICTION OF EXPORT. AFFORESTATION* ALSO URGED. The diminishing supply of timber suitable for butter boxes and cheese crates was brought under the notice of the Northern Dairy Conference yesterday by the chairman, Mr. A. Morton, in his opening address. Mr. Morton said it seemed certain that within at most 10 years the whole supply of white pine in New Zealand would disappear if export was allowed to continue at the present rate. A large portion of the white pine exported to Australia was used for furniture-making and building purposes- The restriction upon the export should he such as to prevent the use of the timber in building, at any rate. The importance of the matter had been urged upon the Government, which had referred it to the National Efficiency Board. If its recommendations proved to be favourable to the industry, it was important that their early adoption should be urged upon the Government as strongly as possible. But even conservation of the remaining forests would only defer the crisis, and it was necessary to provide for the growing of a substitute timber for butter-box purposes, and the earl\ selection of suitable kinds, and of the areas where they should be grown, was a matter of the utmost importance to the industry. A report on the question was presented by Mr. E. Harding, as convener of the committee pet up at last year's conference, recommending that a resolution be pent to the Government, emphasising the difficulty of obtaining supplies of suitable timber. The report was adopted, and on Mr. Harding's motion a resolution was carried urging that, the Government, at the earliest possible dote, take steps to effectively conserve these timbers by restriction of export. and by regulations providing for adequate .supplies of box timber at prices which will not impose burdens on the consumers of this Dominion. Mr. J. G. Ilarkness. secretary of the National Dairy Association, strongly urged the necessity for definite steps in the way of reafforestation, in order to provide timber to take the place of ke.hikatea. He had learned that poplar and pinus radiata, both suitable timbers for the purpose, would be fit for cutting in 25 years. A further resolution was passed, on Mr. Harding's motion, commending to the Government the importance of taking steps at the earlies possible moment for "the reafforestation of the Dominion, to provide suitable timbers to take the place of those now used in its essential industries, and whirh arc rapidly approaching exhaustion."