THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 17925, 22 March 1922, Page 8

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

POSITION PRECARIOUS.

[Special to the ‘Stab.’]

CHRISTCHURCH, March 21. It is hard to predict what is m store for the timber producers of the West Coast. Mills are still closing down, but despite that the Kaiapoi last woek took to Melbourne and Adelaide over I,(XX),OOOtt of white pine. The Waipori is now loading a full cargo of the same class of tunber for Melbourne, and later in the month two other boats are to carry away .big consignments of white pine for other Australian ports. Yet none of the timber heads are Jumping for Joy; they are Just pleased to a certain extent. “White pine,” stated one of them the other day, is the only bright spot in the timber industry of the Coast, but it represents only 15 per cent, of the trade. I’or red pine the outlook is as gloomy as ever, and unless the Hon. Downio Stewart can effect reciprocal Customs arrangements with the Commonwealth Government in regard to timber other than box timber, then not all the white pine in our mills will save ns. It is no satisfaction, knowing that there is a good market for white pine, when under the torma on which we hold our bush lands the red must be cleared with the white. We have no local trade like producers in other districts, and our position is precarious.”