N.Z. WHITE PINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 June 1921, Page 5

N.Z. WHITE PINE

THE AUSTRALIAN DUTY. A Melbourne cablegram published on Friday stated that the proposal of the Minister for Customs to increase the present duty on imported timbers 1/- to 3/- or 4/- per hundred super, fiet, was adopted regarding certain classes of timber, including New Zealand white pine, undressed and ‘ not elsewhere included, for use in Die manufacture of butter boxes. me “New Zealand Times” cablcgiam stated the increase included New Zealand white pine, undreddud and “not for use in the manufacture of butter boxes.” If the “limes message K correst, (and private advices confirm it) it is clear that the duly is to be imposed on undressed timber not for use in the manufacture of butter boxes. A local sawmillcr stated to-day t lat

this apparently leaves the position so that the duty is imposed on the in- / ferior classes of white pine which have been sent from the West Coast. It is not anticipated that the duty will have a very serious effect for a prolonged period on the export of white pine from this district, for this is a timber that is indispensable for certain purposes in Australia. It is possible that the duty on inferior white pine is specially imposed m the interests of small Australian mills which sprang up during the war period and have been in the habit ot cutting pinus insignis and misce - laneous soft woods. The production from these mills is expected soin to run out, and when the dumping of Baltic timber which has recently been going on comes to an end, Australia have to look to New Zealand for supplies of soft timber, as ih ie past.