THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17846, 29 July 1921, Page 4

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

POSITION IN AUCKLAND.

GOOD DEMAND EXPERIENCED

EFFECT OF AUSTRALIAN DUTY.

I The timber industry, which if reported j to be in a critical position on the west j coast of trio South Island, is staled to be ;in a flourishing condition in Auckland. ; Experts in the industry in. Auckland stated yesterday that the conditions that at present were detrimentally affecting the j industry in Westland did toot generally ! apply Ho Auckland. The West Coast trade, it was stated, was chiefly an ev- : port one. whereas the output of the AuckI land mills was absorbed locallv. The duty on timber imported by Australia from the Dominion had recentlv been ini creased, and this evidently had been & j serious blow to the exporters. The timI bers chiefly affect-ed were rimu ard sevond- ! quality white pine. Rimu was now practically unsaleable in the Comni nwr.ith. White pine, with the exception i>f huiter'bos size, on which the dutv was Is \„- r i 100 ft.. was also unprofitable in export. ,It was stated that a few null" in thn | Auckland province that had been cutting j white pine tor export would be <->r I less affected by the increased timber duties |in Australia. There were one or two ! mills engaged in this braaich of the mI dustry in North Auckland, and a few <-,n ! the Main Trunk railway. Generally r speaking, the timber industrv in Auek- | land was flourishing, the demand being quite equal to thab of pre-war days. i One authority expressed the opinion I that the financial stringency attd the high rate of interest being offered to investors ■ in certain forms of security might restrict the demand for building timber in the future, but any effect in this direction had : not yet been manifested. Referring to the suggestion from West- ! land that Oregon pine from Canada to , Australia was being earned f v r 4s per i 100 ft., doubt was expressed by local exj perts as to the accuracy of this statei ment. It W3s stated that the lowest rate ' at which Oregon pine had been carried to ' Auckland was 10s per 100 ft. The shipments of this timber that had been landed here had been ordered, and were being used in place of kauri, of which there was a scarcity.