KAURI GUM INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17730, 15 March 1921, Page 4

KAURI GUM INDUSTRY.

o COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. OPENING OF ITS SITTINGS. The Kauri Gum Commission held its first sitting in Auckland yesterday at the North Auckland Crown Lands Office. The chairman. Mr R. P. Greville. commissioner of Crown lands for North Auckland, presided. There were also present: Messrs. R. Coates, F. L. Gribbin, E. J. J. Nicholson, M. H. Wynyard, and Pro-' fessor F. J. Worley. In opening the proceedings, the chairman said the previous Kauri Gum Commission, of which he was' chairman was appointed in 1914. The work of that commission was mainly confined to the classification of gum lands, although other matters incidentally arising were dealt with in the report. The order of reference of the present commission had been made very wide in its scope, enabling the commission to make a thoroughly exhaustive inquiry into all matters affecting the industry. 6 Up to March 31, 1920, the total value of kauri gum exported amounted to nearlv £20,000,000. Of the total sum received from the sale of kauri gum, he thought it was safe to say that more than threequarters went to the producers and the ! other" workers engaged in the industry byway of wages. Notwithstanding the large value of kauri gum produced, practically nothing was put back into the industry itself or, into the land that produced this ] wealth. With the exception of the enterprise of a -few individuals and companies during late years, primitive methods still prevailed more or less on the gumfields. The result of the gum-digging operations up to the present, as far as the land was concerned, had been to leave it in a more or less wilderness condition, burnt over and intensely » pot-holed," and yielding no return except what little gum still roaned to be dug. On a conservative esti mate he thought as much value of gum still remained in the ground as had been dug from it. The members of the board left for Dar gaville yesterday afternoon. Tuesdav will be spent in inspecting the gumfields and gum-producing operations in the Darzayille district, and on Wednesday morn ing evidence will be taken in the court house at Dargaville.