SOUTHLAND BEECH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 246, 31 July 1935, Page 3

SOUTHLAND BEECH

TRADE IN AUSTRALIA. OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK. (Per Press Association). INVERCARGILL, July 30. Signal success was reported by a delegation representing the Southland beech sawmilling industry which left for Australia on June 14 and which has now returned to Invercargill, lhe delegation, which consisted of Mr O. Randle, general manager of the Cooperative Beech Company of Southland, Ltd., and Messrs I. J. Ivilkelly and T. Harrington, directors of the company, visited Sydney, ) Melbourne, and Adelaide, in each of which towns they found an increasing inquiry for Southland beech, which was being put to a diversity of uses with eminently satisfactory results. The chief object of the delegation was to establish definite and uniform grading rules as between buyers and sellers. “We succeeded in renewing several large contracts for silver beech,” continued Mr Randle, “and Southland beech millers can look with optimism to the future, for there is every prospect of a considerable increase in the demand from Australia. Beech is being put to a wide variety of uses—-furniture-making, motor-car building, and the construction of agricultural implements are some of them. Beech is used for shoe heels, broom sticks, and special mouldings, to mention only a few avenues. It is finding great favour in furniture factories. “One of the problems facing beech millers is the disposal of low-grade timber, and in this respect the delegation also met with considerable success.”