NEW ZEALAND TIMBER

Evening Star, Issue 17279, 18 February 1920, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TIMBER

ITS EXPORT TO AUSTRALIA. Mr Massey referred yesterday to the blame cast on the Government for permitting the export of timber to Australia while there is an apparent shortage of timber in New Zealand. He said that the position did not appear to be generally understood. It was a fact that certain quantities of timber were being exported to Australia. The reason was that the New Zealand Government, at the express request of the Australian Government, had entered into a reciprocal arrangement, by which the Commonwealth was to allow the export of coal to the Dominion in return for certain New Zealand timber essential to the Commonwealth butter industry’. “Not merely coal, but also salt, superphosphates, wheat, and hardwoods are required in New Zealand,” added Mr Massey, “ and we have to look to Australia, where the export is under the control of the Commonwalth Government, for a large proportion of these supplies. Another point is that the boats bunging coal from Australia to N<W Zealand have to be sent back loaded on the return voyage. They take timber cargoes, in accordance with the arrangement with the Commonwealth Government. It is interesting to note that for the four months from July 1 last a total of only’ 8,453,000 ft was produced, which is equivalent to upwards of 25,000,000 ft for the year, and tlie export of timber for the period amounted to 1,245,000 ft, equivalent to only about 5,500,€00ft for the vear, as comnared with the export of 10,454,0C0ft for* the year ended March 31, 1918.”