More Rimu Timber Wanted By Furniture Trade

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 November 1949, Page 9

More Rimu Timber Wanted By Furniture Trade

WELLINGTON, This Day (0.C.). —“ln spite of statements and reassurances from official quarters that all is well with, the timber position, the federation continues to receive? reports of members who are experiencing difficulty in obtaining supplies of furniture timbers of the required sizes and quality,” said Mr IV. M. Dawn,, of Auckland, president of the New Zealand Furniture Manufacturers’ Federation, at the annual meeting this week. Mr Dawn .-said that in spite of supply difficulties, furniture manufacturers had been able to carry on and it was satisfactory to .note that the public was being . offered adequate supplies of all types of furniture, with a field for selection. Imports From Japan The supply position during 1949, he said, had been eased somewhat by the granting of licences to import Japanese oak and supplies already received had been of great assistance to the industry, not only in supplementing the restricted supplies of local timbers but in enabling manufacturers, to give, a wilier field of selection and meet a definite demand of the buying public. The federation was pleased to read a statement by Mr Nash that further licences would be issued ■ for importation of oak timber from Japan in 1949-50. “So far as New Zealand furniture timbers are concerned,” said Mr' Dawn, “and particularly in the case of rimu, the districts where the greatest difficulty is experienced are Wellington and Christchurch. Although most manufacturers in those centres are carrying on, supplies are only on a hand-to-mouth basis and it is frequently difficult to_ obtain the sizes most required. VVhere the right sizes are not available, other timber has to be used, often involving a greater amount of wastage and to this extent costs are unnecessarily increased.” West Coast Exports The shortage was accentuated by the continued export of native timbers from the West Coast to Australia, added Mr Dawn. New Zealand furniture manufacturers had been advised by the State Forest Service to use greater quantities of pinus insignis. However, its posisble uses in furniture manufacture were limited and the federation felt that Australia should be asked to take a greater proportion of pinus rather than depriving New Zealand manufacturers and the public of rimu timber, which was pre-eminently suitable for furniture. During the past year the proportion of rimu production which had been exported had been almost trebled, whereas the proportion of output of pinus insignis which had been exported was only a little more than doubled, increased emphasis should be placed on promotion exports of pinus to Australia, leaving greater quantities of rimu in New Zealand for our own domestic uses.

Mr Dawn was re-elected president of the federation for a further year, and Mr J. G. Marshall, of Wellington, was re-elected vice-president.