NEW ZEALAND CEDAR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND CEDAR.

NOT: SUITABLE FOR PENCIL MAKING, Some time, ago tho Department of Industries.,and. Commc;rc.e, forwarded to. tho High *,Commissioned' in tlibttdon samples of sovoral varieties of New .Zealand timbers, for the -ptirppse- of-.: h.iitjng; ; theni -tested as to their ivaltie. purposes. The Hon. Mr. M Gowhn,. Minister for Industries and .Commerce,,,has,,now received through tho High ' Commissi OTief rr reports from soveral nlamifactu'rers''of--'pendils in regard to the value of these timbers'.'- It is regretted that tho • roports arc/on .tho whole unsatisfactory. -For'.the most-.-partitho timbers are of so • do' not work up •so'rciadily or"'"so attia'ctively as cedar, which: is gonerally, v 'mscd> for pencil ' casings. The following is a specimen of the reports furnished: to the .High Commissioner in London :— ■ . ■• < "ZTo Messrs: Jolia'nn'Faberi London.. ■ " '. "November 23,'1907. j..-," Wo'bajQ'liadjpencilsimade of the sample v sfats- soiit us;- to say that the: wood iin its structure is not suitable for the 'inaiiufacttiro. of lead pencils. The want of, would- bo of no consequence, but the nature of the wood makes it necessary to specially • planer by hand the rough sides of tho pencils, which, of courso, is rather expensive; bflsldia/.thoy would then no longer .being polislied by machine; Fronrthe "samples we are sending you under separato cover you will see how the pencils look whon coming out of, tho planing machino, and when polished without having'been specially .treated. As wo.do not know-tile prico- of the wood^'we cannot calculato how the price of tho inado of •it' woUldNc'ompdro other. kinds of wood. Please inform the Government Office accordingly.—Yourstruly, JOHANN FABER."