KAURI GUM COMMISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 95, 22 April 1921, Page 5

KAURI GUM COMMISSION.

— ■ AUCKLAND SITTING OPENED. LENTTHY EVIDENCE TAKEN. TAXATION UXDESIRABLE. The Kauri Gam Commission appo tiled by the Government to inquire into matters aftectinsr the kauri gum industry opened its A.l -kland sitting at the auxiliary court room at the Magistrate's Court this morn'ng. Mr. R. P. Greville, Crown Lands Commissioner for the Xorth. presiding. The other members of the Commission are:—Messrs. R. f oatcs. F. L. Gribbin. E. •L Nit-col. J. Nicholso". M. H. Wynyard. and Professor F. P. Worloy. The main points in the >r.ier of rof-r----en.-e arc ti-c kauri gum lands and their var ous products, and the question as to whether any sneclal taxition by way of royalty or oilier .vise should bo placed on kauri gam prndm-t« for '.he bcne.it of local bodies wiih'.n kauri gtinl districts.

Mr. R. .Cook gave evidence on behalf of do Kauri Gum Co. anil the Mangatar.i Syndicate, lie considered that there should he a standard grading o: kauri gum for export. I; wciild be .ir.-i neees-

■irv to a.->-?r',a n 1c? requirement.-, then make up the •••aurdes to suit: these woitl.l then c-inistitnte the standard grades and tin* runiber ••:" -ame would be such as to s".k tile requirements of the trade, and the rjiiaiitv would al j be determined by the re jiiirements lor linoleum varnishes, el.-. He was of the opin'on that a'l exporting gum should be classified by the (l-.-veniment graders in the same manner as llax. butter, etc. ile was !irmlv of the upinion, however. that the ndr.-try -in. •'.! not be ai>->----lu'ely controlled by the Sl-ate. There was no doit'u: that ie present methods could be improved by (he -/ranting of a bonus I* r an eil'e'ent pant for washing the gum from (he -oi . the present method of washinj; by i -".i. being very wasteful, losing the bulk of the fines. Dutiiie's Syndicate ",i- endeavouring to bring out a small eflicient machine md to imsrove exist ng large plant

The points aimed a', were continuous pr-a-ess, minimised "ield work, preventing damage of gum in recovering wet grading to minimise drying, nioehan'cal drying where and i: required, to maKe standard and bu.k output to a 'n'.i'ormity, and the conversion of by-producus sitjh as pitch, tar, lamp black, oils, turpentines and peat fuels, and ttt'lisation of the residues and timber. He cjnsidered that a total vote of not les-s than £2.3,000 should he put on the estimates for assistance to the industry to provide n) a bonus (! f ._>oo for" the best machinery designed for extracting the gum from the soil, and bringing the Same to a marketable commodity: (b) a bonus for production of crude o'l of marketable value, s.'.'h bonus to be 1/ per gallon payable on the first .>O.OOO gallons produced, and on every subsequent oO.OOO.tip to 2&0.0O0 gallons. This would amount to £12,500. (c| a bonus of £1 for £.1 for first approved plant for fractionising crude oil up to C9OOD. (d) A subsidy of £2 for £1 up to £1000 to provide private laboratories with

j approved apparatus for work in kauri . gum and oil research. With regard to tiie durability of kauri swamp timber and it* value for build'ng, fencing, and j other ptrrpoios the only practical illus- ; tration he could give of its value was a feme about eight- miles Ions: which had been erected for over six years. The posts were st"U in a go->d state of preservation. The swamp timber was also being utilised by the local mills, and they appeared to have no difficulty in selling same As regards kauri gum land he said that it was generally poor, and he suggested the Government"should come to the assistance of Crown lan-Is in the shape of price, terms and conditions to 'nduce tae expenditure of capital. He was of the opinion that licenses: on Crown lands should be a nominal fee, and that owing to the damage caused to the roads through cartage in gum districts, part of the royalties received from the gum won from Crown lands should be allocated I to the county funds in the county for which it is collected, for the upkeep of j roads and bridges, for new roads in gum districts, and for afforestation, etc. j

Royalties, he said, should be charged to all diggers, whether for chips or lump gum, dug by ordinary diggers, |su)rn royalty to be on a par with mat charged by private owners according to the value of the ground. With regard to private lands, he suggested a ton mileage rate, as proposed by the Producers' Conference, would meet the position to prevent damage being d-one by this class of extraordinary traffic. The best moans of preventing damage to kauri gum lands by tires, was, ho said, to impose restrictions on tires on gum fields through the summer months, and get the rancors who collect tho royalties to supcrvi :e. II" considered that! it was highly necessary that the Govern- | mont should provide a laboratory in | thy- Auckland district for scientific re- ' search for the purpose of a.-oertainir.g ' tho values of the kauri oil and its eon- ! • iituetits. and for assistance to the gum I industry generally. At this laboratory j samples should be tested free for both i oil and gum values, and advice should i be jriven as to the proper methods of I treatment, extraction, etc. lie was also | of the opinion that the I lovernm-ont should make public what steps had been taken with regard to the disposal of gum. and whether an adequate market for the whole of tho gum likely to bo produced was open, and the prices obtainable for the gum.

Mr. L. A. Batchcldrr. representing Measrj. Gillespie and Sons, said that it would be absolutely impossible to establish a standard grade. It would be detrimental to tho trade. He considered that the New Zealand kauri gum was the best in the world for making varnish, but owing to the falling off in supply and the co=t of material?, far less was being used than hitherto.' Regarding the matter of taxation. witness said he considered this would be undesirable. If any export tax were levied on kauri gum it should ho taxed at the value at source, and the producer should pay it. An attempt would !..■ made to make the consumer j.;- it. hut this would make the gum so much more expensive that there would !,-- ;1 strong inducement for them to suh-ii -ltc other les.* costly gums. An o--.p.->7i tix would not be desirable on the ground that it would increase tho cost of kauri gum. If New Zealand had a monopoly of gum. tho con-sumer could bo made to pay it; as it was, he would at once compare the cost of kauri gum with others which | ho could purchase. Mr. W. 11. Wharfe, gum merchant, j strongly condemned t!,-- business j morality of country broker-. He .-aid I that they wore absolutely unreliable and were a menace to the trade.- His firm bought kauri gum a.-.-orilinu to h certain . "jradc. but when it earn~ 10 hand it was J so adulterated that i: had to be graded over again. j ■