THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1929, Page 6

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

A NEW TYPE OF .HARDWOOD

AUCKLAND, Sept. 10

Tn at least one .. Australian State the timber industry is progressing favourably regardless of th© .strikes and industrial unrqst in other parts. Mr E. B. Sinclair, general manager of the State sawmills in Western Australia, who arrived at Auckland on a business trip by the Makura, is definite that the industry has been placed on .a sound footing in "that State, and claims- that Government enterprise has been largely responsible in bringing this albout.

“As a result of the work of the State mills, karri timber, a type of hardwood, is rapidly gaining .world prominence,” Mr Sinclair said. “Tile mills were established in. 1913 to ope., up the karri forests and to fulfil an order by the Commonwealth Government for sleepers for the transcon*. tinental railway. After 15 years the karri sleepers, are still in excellent condition and. have been proved to bo superior to jarrah.” The karri sleepers were specially treated by the process known as the Powell process to make them immune from white ants, which were a great pest in many parts of Australia, Mr Sinclair continued. The timber was taken from the saw and placed into vats. It was sealed up, and a solution containing arsenic and molasses was pur” ed in and boiled up for eight hours. Jarrah was still perhaps better known than karri, but the latter timber was •'-coming known as a gi-o-i+ !'-->n Ember. It could be obtained in g-eat lengths, and Was easy to bend. It was hoped to introduce the timber into New Zealand.. “The industry In Western Australia is not a State monopoly,” Mr Sinclair said. “However, State activity has had a steadying influence on production and prices. There is still a considerable amount ol American timber imported into Australia, but baldly to the same extent as it is in New Zealand. We ate making a great effort to place .the timber industry on an Empire footing.”

Apart from its milling activities, the Western Australian Government was also paying considerable attention to reafforestation along scientific lines, Mr Sinclair said. It was roa list'd that stops had to be taken to preserve the karri forests.