SAWMILL PRODUCTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 87, 13 April 1944, Page 3

SAWMILL PRODUCTION

The salient features of the sawmilling statistics for the year 1942-43 are an increase of 2 per cent in the production of rough-sawn timber, coupled with a decline in both the number of mills and the persons engaged, amounting to 8 per cent, in each case, as compared with the figures for 1941----42.

I.eturns were received from 420 mills for the year 1942-43, as compared with 458 in 1941-42.. The average number of persons engaged in the industry was 7407, or 654 less than in the previous year. The salaries and wages paid increased from £2,285,414 in 1941-42 to £2,400,784 in 1942-43. The cost of materials used and the value of products advanced by 1.5 per cent, and 4 per cent, respectively. Added value rose by £228,454, states the Abstract of Statistics.

There were 328 mills engaged in the production of rough-sawn timber during 1942-43, as against 358 in 194L-42. The output of rough-sawn timber aggregated 331,478,346 ft b.m., representing an increase of 2 per cent, as compared with the figure for 1941-42 (324,473,600 ft b.m.). Of the various species of timber milled, rimu accounted for 59.5 per cent, pinus radiata for 17.9 per cent, and kahikatea for 7.3 per cent. With the exception of kahikatea, which decreased by 5,400,000 ft b.m., increases were recorded for all the main species of rough-sawn timber produced, the chief of these being rimu, 4,560,000 ft b.m., and pinus radiata, 3,120,000 ft b.m.