THE EXPORT OF WHITE PINE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 138, 11 June 1917, Page 7

THE EXPORT OF WHITE PINE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —As one who has for months past urged that the exportation of that evervaluable wood, white pine, should be prohibited, I commend the attitude taken up 'by the annual conference of delegates of the North Auckland dairy factories in regard to that important question, which so vitally affects the : intereste of this country. At that Inference it was stated that in seven or eight years' time the supplies of white pine iwould be exhausted, that is, at the present rate of consumption. It is contended that this iB the only suitable wood for the manufacture of butterboxes in Australasia, and consequently millions of feet arc being exported to Australia every year, not, as is commonly understood, solely for the purpose of making butter-boxes, but for other purposes as well Millions of feet are being used there in buildings as match lining, and that is how the bulk of this timber is being absorbed. Furthermore, there is a pine similar to the New Zealand pine obtainable in Queensland, and it is being used there for btittcr-boxes. As our own demand for this wood is 60 urgent, it certainly should !be conserved for our necessities, and as N.c°w Zealand consumes but onethird of the present output it stands to reason that if the exportation was prohibited the white pine supplies would last us three times as long, nay, from twenty-one to twenty-four years. As this is a matter of considerable importance it is hoped that the Government 'will seriously consider this question in the coming session, and prohibit the export—for the interest of Now Zealand —instead of allowing it to be ruthlessly used for building purposes, for which it is worthless.—l am, etc, PRO BONO PUBLICO. WcHingtoii, June 7.