OUTPUT EXPANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 308, 29 December 1937, Page 4

OUTPUT EXPANDS.

TIMBER MILLS ACTIVE. NEW COMPANIES FORCED. ELEVEN-YEAR RECORDS. f Expansion in the timber industry in i New Zealand has gathered speed over the I past year. Since 1932 the number of I mills operating, the labour emploved and the output have gone ahead steadily. In j t' lo past year each of these figures reached the highest level for 11 years, according to a review in the December "Abstract of Statistics." ; There were 385 mills engaged in the I production of rough-sawn timber during | the year 1936-37, an increase of 21 over the previous year. Their output amounted t to 305,889,418 ft, or 12,800.000 ft more than j last year, the total being the highest since 1926. Of the various species of timber milled nmu represented 57 per cent of the total production and kahikatea 15 per cent. There was a falling off in the quantity of pin us radiata milled, but this exotic species still ranked third, representing 10 per cent of the total. The quantity of kauri milled was the largest for at least six years, but was still very small fraction of the total. The following table shows the steadv s expansion in output since 1932-33, the 1 production for each year being given In » feet b.m.:— ? Production. f Ft. (board Tear. measure). 1932-33 166,269.410 1033-34 197.654.900 1934-35 243.781.675 I 2i!2e 22 293,075.313 ? 1936-37 305,889,418 J Auckland's Big Lead. 1 Production figures show that Auckland f> still holds pride of place as centre of 5 timber milling in the country. The totai f output of mills in this province wa« > almost twice that o£ Westland, the next 1 biggest timber district, and over four . times that of Southland, which ranks it third. Auckland's output was 129,000,000 ft; f Westland's 78,000,000 ft, and Southland's I 29.000,000 ft. i The value of the Dominion's production 1 of timber for the year was £2,639,737, over twfce the total for 1933 or 1934, and an increase of £374,181 over last year. This is partly explained by the increase in outpjit, but the rise in prices from 15/6 to 17/3 per 100 ft b.in. on the average has j been an important factor. > Imports and export totals of timber in » the past year are not available, but in j 1936 imports showed a considerable > increase and exports a fall. This is a J natural effect of the increased building j activity which has more than absorbed , additional production.