PRICES RISE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 12

PRICES RISE.

EFFECT OF WAR. CORK FAMINE LIKELY. EXPORTS FROM SPAIN. SHORTAGE IN DOMINION. A cork famine. . . . Although it sounds unreal, this is a prolm bil it v if the war in Spain • out iniies. and \ew Zealand « ill be i'Mi* of the count l ies affected. Alie.idv 1111■ re is an acute shortage. Spain lias almost a cork monopoly. It i- i lie liiiipe ni ihe cork industry. As "it} kinm- who has been there, the cork lorots are among the sights for the tourNt. Hig. trees, like polnitukawa-, they cover hundreds of square miles, clothe the slopes of hills and mountain ranges, make shelter in sunny valleys, and extend down to the fringe of the Mediterranean.

Impressions of these forests and of the delightful climate were given this morning by two Auckland merchantimporters, Messra. P. H. and C. Hughes, who are leading representatives of the cork trade in New Zealand. Incidentally, they mentioned that the price of cork ha 3 been increased by 100 per cent- since the beginning of the Spanish war a year ago, and is steadily rising. "The cork market Is in an extraordinary condition," said Mr. C. Hughesl j "Expert foresters who were employed in keeping the big Spanish factories sup-1 plied with cork-wood have bee,n called away to the fighting line, and as the months pass the situation is becoming very difficult. To-day some of the manufacturers are thinking of closing down." An Unforgettable Drive. "Less than half an hour from the town of Palamas, in Catalonia," said Mr. Hughes, "the motorist reaches the (oik-producing' country. Trees give shade by the roadside and the drire into the mountains is unforgettable. It is on the edge of this forest that Madeleine Carroll, the film has her beautiful Palamas home, overlooking the Mediterranean. "There is no immediate danger of destruction of the forests," said Mr. Hughes, "for the war zone is still a long way from the province of Gerona, in Catalonia, where one of the largest cork factories in the world, covering 15 acres and employing over 2000 people, is located.

"New Zealand, which draws a considerable part of ita cork imports from that district, is still Able to obtain regular supplies, for ther* is an outlet by rail round the Pyrenees and through the south of France to the port of Marseilles. Of coutm, railage involves extra coat, but the increase is probably not ns great as would be involved in shipping direct from Spain in the face of tlie present dangers. "They are a most industrious people," said Mr. P. H. Hughes, in giving liis impressions of a visit to Palamas in October, 1035. "When I was there they began work at 7.30 in the morning and toiled until six o'clock for six days of the week. Since then, however, they have gone on the 40-hour week, and that, combined with the shortage of labour due to the war, has increased the difficulties of the cork industry. Stripping the Trees. "Only experts are employed in strip-, ping the bark from trees," he remarked, "for the life of a tree and the quality of succeeding crops of cork depends largely upon how the work la done. It is this expertness, combined with the climatic conditions, the age of the forests, and the possession of a particularly good variety of tree, that gives Spain its command of the market. The Government and the people are jealous of any attempts to take the seeds of the trees out of the country."

Mentioning thnt the colour of the cork varied from white to tawny, or pink, with a close, fine grain for the beat quality, Mr. Hughes said he had seen huge trees, ranging up to probably 200 years of age. The forests were open, very different from those of New Zealand, and it wa« en ay and pleasant to walk about in the shade. When the trees attained considerable size the production would increase to perhaps as much 3011). "'And. remember. 3011) ilr. Hughes u a

Has Many Uses. I "And if this famine in cork develops, will that be a very serious matter?" M*. Hughes was asked. • "Probably you don't realise how many uses cork has," he remarked. "Of | course, its largest use is for bottles, but there are many others. Cork insulation is most important in freezing chambers —thousands and thousands of cubic feet, ore used in the walls of the big cool storage rooms in Auckland. Then there arc tlie cork floats of fishing nets, and the cork in life-belts. The helmets worn in the tropics are made light and j comfortable by a lining of cork, and the j tips of cigarettes often have a covering I of cork to protect the mouth. Only the very best quality cork is used for cigarettes, shaved and mounted on thin tissue paper. "Next there is the manufacture of linoleums. A large amount of cork is used there. And cork tiles for the roofs ■if buildings, and cork mats for floors arc common in large buildings in Britain and Kurojte. Cork gaskets are used for motor car engines, and cork for various | compositions, such as cricket balls, and so on, is essential." Finding Substitutes. Another representative of the import trade, .Mr. K. \Y. Sharp, mentioned that substitutes would have to be sought in various directions if the war continued. He said glass floats were already finding favour with fishermen, and screw stoppers or seals were in heavy demand for bottling purposes. The scarcity was at present felt most in the highest grades of cork. In the supply of the lower grades there were several alternative sources, including Portugal and Morocco. Cork of an inferior grade, however, was unsatisfactory for various purposes, such as the bottling of. the best wines, for it affected the flavour. A To'indicate the acnteness of the problem lift Spain, Mr. Sharp said lie had placed an order for a shipment of cork shortly before the outbreak of the civil war, and recently, after waiting for twelre months, he had been compelled to cancel: it. He confirmed the statement that prices were rising rapidly, and said the disturhed condition of the exchange was adding to the difficulties of importers.