EXPORT OF WHITE PINE

Grey River Argus, 5 December 1938, Page 5

EXPORT OF WHITE PINE

17 Million Feet FOR AUSTRALIA. Consent to the export to Australia of 17,000,000 feet of white pine timber over a three-year period is to be given by the New Zealand authorities in the event of approval from the Australian Tariff Board. Various issues involved in the proposal were explained by the Commissioner of State Forest (the Hon. F. Langstone) in an interview this evening. He said that he understood the question was to be considered by the board within the next few days. Mr Langstone said that some weeks ago a delegation from the Sawmillers' Federation had visited Australia in an endeavour to encourage the l export of timber from New Zealand to Australia. The delegation found that there was a demand for New Zealand white pine if the people in Australia could be given ,some guarantee of supplies over a period. The Australian Tariff Board had been considering the matter. Canada was anxious to export hemlock to Australia for manufacture into butter-boxes. Queensland had been supplying New South Wales and Victoria with hoop pine for butter-boxes, but the position had now arisen that Queensland would not be able to supply the full requirements of the market in less than three years. .. ~ i., “We have at the moment, about 16,000,000 feet of white pine in, the yards of various New Zealand butterbox . factories,” said Mr Langstone. “We also have 400,000 boxes in our stores at Frankton and Fielding. On going into the matter*'thoroughly, I ascertained that we could supply the Australian market with about 17,000,000 feet of white pine over a three-year period—7,ooo,ooo feet in the first year, and 5,000,000 feet in each of the other two years. This would give immediate relief to our surpluses in hand, and also enable arrangements to be made for a rationed supply of white pine to the Australian market.”

Mr Langstone said that, apart from the present negotiations, he had allowed 5,000,000 feet of to bte exported under licence this year, as New Zealand had more stocks on hand than it would required. This was due to a reduction in the production of butter and to new supplies of timber coming on the market. Representations had been made to the industry in Australia to use a sap rimu box as a container for butter. Tf this were agreed to. it should be of material help in the disposal of a lot of sap rimu timber that wAs a drag on the New Zealand market at the moment.