Silver Beech Industry.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 11 May 1939, Page 6

Silver Beech Industry.

The silver beech industry in Otago and Southland, which pays £IOO,OOO a year in wages, £IO,OOO annually in railway freights, and £7OOO a year in shipping charges, is to-day facing a crisis. Its export trade to England amounting to millions of superficial feet a vear has completely disappeared and the Australian market, which for years has absorbed a high proportion of the annual output, is taking progressively smaller consignments every month. The industry has but one alternative at the present time. The local market must be exploited to the fullest exten. In an interview, Mr R. M. Strang, chairman of directors of the Co-operative Beech Company, of Southland. stated that mots people have the idea that they arc buying good old English oak when they buy oak furniture, but they are actually buying Japanese oak, which is a very inferior product indeed. For every purpose that Japanese oak is used silver beech could be as profitably employed.