THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 19519, 29 March 1927, Page 4

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

AH INTERESTING RETURN 'Peb United Press Association^ WELLINGTON, March 29, A report by the Government Statistician, which'the Minister of Internal Affairs released last night, throws Interesting light on the position of the timber industry The report deals with log saw-mills only. Three hundred and seventy-four saw-mi)ls were engaged in production during the year ended March 31 1926, compared with 369 in 1924-2.5. Altogether 353,224,196 super, feet of timbm were produced—an increase of 0,129,322 super, feet, or approximately 3 per cent, over the output'in 1924-25. Rimu, which was about 55 per cent, of the total, full just below the output in the previous year by 121:000 super, feet. There was a mild boom m this species in the two preceding years. Kahikatea (21 per cent, of the total) increased by 16 per cent , and was the highest since 1919-20. Matai increased by 9 per cent., unspecified timber by 9 per cent., but kauri dropped by 126,000 feet to 22,765,877. Totara declined by 4.399,995, or 21 per cent. All classes of employees decreased by 4 per cent, to 7,565. However, wages increased by 3 per cent. The value of the timber rough sawn at the mills for 1925 26 (£3,138,079) showed a decrease of £30,020 iu com- ; parison with the previous year.