NEW ZEALAND TIMBER

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21245, 17 August 1934, Page 15

NEW ZEALAND TIMBER

GREATER PRODUCTION LAST YEAR INCREASE OF 18 PER CENT. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.! WELLINGTON, August 16. The timber produced in the Dominion in the year endv* on March 31, 1934. is estimated at approximately lSr>,ooo.ooo feci, board measure, or 18 per cent, more than the quantity reported for the previous year, according to the annual report of the State! Forest Service, presented to Parliament 1 o-day. "It is anticipated," adds the report, "that the greater part of this increase will be accounted for by rimu. the demand for which has been stimulated both by the building subsidy policy of the Unemployment Board and the improved tone on Australian markets. Rimu and white pine now constitute more than 80 per cent, of all the timber produced in New Zealand, while the two provincial districts of Auckland and Westland are responsible for more than two-thirds of the total cut. Interest in the exploitation of Westland supplies has been well maintained, more especially in white pine, and logs of this species are being transported as far as Auckland for the manufacture of wire-bound veneer butter boxes." The sawmills of the Dominion, as recorded by the Forest Service, now number 534. Of these 438 are working exclusively in indigenous forests, and CI exclusively in exotic plantations. The remaining 35 mills included in the total cut both indigenous and exotic timber. Of the total mills, 29 per cent, are closed down, 40 per cent, are working part time only, and 31 per cent, are working full time, the year's working again showing a slight Improvement on the figures for the previous period. The total importation of timber into New Zealand, substantially reduced on the extremely low fie'urc of the 1932 total of 12.000.000 feet board measure, must be considered small Of that, more than 7,000,000 feet board measure consisted of Australian hardwoods, which are recognised as largely non-competitive with New Ze.-»*nd timbers, and essential for many of the special purposes for which they are imported. The improvement shown in the export of timber during 1932 was largely maintained during 1933. the year's exnorts being almost 50 per cent, above the low record of 1931, although 5 per cent, below the 1932 exports.