SANTA CRUZ GROUP.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 2 September 1926, Page 15

SANTA CRUZ GROUP.

ISLAND'S TIMBER RESOURCES. MB. BUTIXR'S INVESTIGATIONS I I GOOD WORD FOR MISSION I WORKERS. j One of the great problems New : ( Zealand, in common with other coun- I | tries, has to provide for is an adequate I I I supply of suitable timbers in years to ] j ! come. Its importance is not beinjz lost I J sight of, and some three months a°ro Mr. j j J. Butler, managing-director of the j I Kauri Timber Company at Auckland. s et % | ' out on a visit to Vanikoro Island, which j forms one of the Santa (_ ruz fjroiip. This I | week Mr. Bntler returned to Auckland, j I and when interviewed by a "" Star "■ I representative this morning had st.~.< interesting , remarks to make. j Mr. Butler's object in visiting the I group was to investigate the timbrri I resources of X'anikoro Island and evolve • j a scheme for working the supply offer- j ing. if suitable timber, on behalf of the j Vanikoro Kauri Timber Company. ! which is associated with tin s Auckland ' ' Kauri Timber Company. Mr. Bntler I i said he found the quality of the kauri | i timber at Yanrfcoro almost identical in j every respect with the New Zealand I I kauri both as regards the appearance \ i of the tree and the quality of the s,wn ! ( timber. In order to »ive the proposition ' a complete test. Mr. Butler a i small area, and took a portion" of the ' log*, some 60.000 feet, to Melbourne, j j where it was milled, and the results | ! proved satisfactory in all rcspnts. Tlip ; ' trees at Vanikoro are not so symetrical j as the Xew Zealand tree, but the size is approximately the same, and therp was J ' a tendency for the larger trees to jruw , j rr.orp tapered than our own kauris. | | while the timber is not so close in the > i ■rrain. this probably bpinjr the result of j ' growing in a hot and humid climate. | [ Asked for an estimate of the available | supplies at Vanikoro. Mr. Butlfr ! that various estimatps had been made \ by bush assessors, and very conservative j j estimates put the quantity down at from ! 100.000.000 to 300.000.000 feet. He did \ not think it likely the timbers at Yani- j koro would be a competitor for the New Zealand markets, but would most probably till the ?ap in the Australian ! market being: caused by the restrictive ! menmres placed upon the exj>ort of kauri from New Zealand. "As the pro- i position is developed.'" said Mr. Butler. ! " no doubt there will lie large quantities i sent to the United Kingdom in the form j of fliches and boards, for which there is an unsatisfied demand in the Old Country." Mr. Butler \\ent_on to *ay ;h.it in j Vanikerc Island tnere were other tim- i lx>rs yresent in larso qtiantitips. w'ni-h | appeared to be of commor.-'al i-alup. i One particular tree v-a.= callei thr kii> a. i a tree of large dimeiirions. and having << j limber of a rich dark reddish colour, out j its utility could not properly l-p j until it had been rut through a pro- j. cess of seisoninj and ti'-taj. Other timbers. Strang to Mr. Butler, seemed ; to be wpll worth exploitinz. Breaking away from the discussion ■ on timber. Mr. Butler said ;liat thp island itself was unhealthy, and disease was freqiient and yvpre. tTowevpr. the Kauri Timber Co.. hoping to iinprov j the general coaditrer;' , ar-'l rendr , : , -ome service in bringing about a better stale \ of affairs, had securrd the services of i Dr. Deland. of Melbourne. Dr. DclanJ ' had cecentlr made an c\ha i.-ti\ •.' .mil special stu-.iy of tropical a id arranacments had l-.een n'ade for him u> proceed to \"an:kere Lsl:»n i shortly an! he'orpe a rK-rmanent mern'nT of the ; "m----pany's staff. The natives at thr different islands speak at lea-t four lacguages, and when carrying on convpr-a- > tion amonz 'he diffovent -o tion- t.il'c piaeon Knglis'i. Mr. Butler 'pc-kr hi;hlv of the \-.\\\- aMe work of mi:— .><n workers v,'in visited the Islands. !!*■ in-tan <m 1 r';i> cases of the Tananui and l> >mali !- and*. In the former the ci^ndit : on< nn \rv j which the natives l.ved were insanitary and scnerally dpprpssini. the men a"'l | women being ugly and uncouth-looking. ! while they were content to sit by .-making fires and eat beotlennt-. At Bom-'h. ; where the missionarVs liad !wn a<-ti\c. there was ample c ideme of t.'ie g.x'l aocomplshed. The native* fia.l th-.'ii little cburrh. had made r.eit pi'li- o' white sand leading to their itwcl mi , .*. formed small road*, and lia 1 jnno in for | cultivation. The ran ra.-t fet ■ een the! peorles of the twn i>l iml- »\ a - ruosi ' noti''eable. and Mr. B;tler i" p !i that the I mission workers were entitled t'> much | zc nxrati!a*ion.