TIMBER INDUSTRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1922, Page 3

TIMBER INDUSTRY

.1 _1 .11 Ji I J J JJL V A v ‘ .1. IV JL t — ■ WHITE PINE IN DEMAND. _ e Heavy cargoes of white pine for Australian ports will be loaded at 11 G rev mouth during the month by three * of the Union Company's iiiter-C'olonial " vessels. The Kaiapui, which is how in port, is loading 1,0b0,000 fret ul white pine for Alelbourno and Adelaide, and the Waipori, after discharge ' mg at Wellington the cargo of coal ' she is now loading here, will return to take a heavy consignment of white pine for Sydney and Newcastle. Towards the end of the month a further vessel loads about 1,000,000 feet of white pine for Alelbouuie direct. The trade in white pine, it appears, has been livened up by the action of the Australian Government in reducing the duty on box timber to 1/- per IUU feet. If a similar reduction were made, in the case of white pine and rima, on which Hie export duty is still 7;-, the position of the trade would be hopeful. The result of the Hon AV. J townie. Stewart’s visit to the Coin- , monwealth, where, it is understood, he , will negotiate for a reciprocity arrangement, is eagerly awaited by those in- ( tcrested in the industry. A Greymouth, sawmiller, discussing j the position with a ‘Star” represents- j

live, said that the export of white pine r was the one bright spot in the coastal ■ trade, which was otherwise dull. But; 1 although the white pine trade was d quite satisfactory, there were few mills which wore in the fortunate position of dealing only in white pine, and even if the white pine trade were developed to its fullest capacity it would l’»»i »iu >Q< 14- 71/a Tnr»vr» i linn T im»» coin 4- i\ F"

represent no more than 15 per cent of the timber industry. For instance, there was practically no demand for red pine and yet the mills must, in accordance with the terms on which they held their bush lands, clear this i.l timber along with the white pine, a None of the firms can mill the white e pine without the red,. if Another jdiase this gentleman pointe ed out- was that the total saw nulling e equipment held by the- pros ducers for cutting timber had . been increased, and now the I trade had fallen to such an extent that the amount of work was less than i would have occupied the plants formf erly. This superfluity of machinery I caused over-production and it meant that the limber cut was burdened with overhead charges. Although this ap- . plied to the Dominion as a whole, ’t . was particularly so on the Uoas~vhere there was no local trade as elsewhere. , The Southland mills amply supplied . needs of practically all the South 1sland, ami North Island needs were satisfied by the Alain Trunk mills, . whereas one good mill could supply the whole of the Coastal demand. ‘Be are glad to see white pine look!1,'( U|'>” he concluded, ‘but it is a long way from improving the precarious position of the, industry.' 1