LARGE TIMBER STOCKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18192, 11 September 1922, Page 8

LARGE TIMBER STOCKS.

KING COUNTRY OUTPUT. FORESTRY EXPERT'S ADVICE "BUILD YOUR HOUSE NOW." [BY. TELSttftAFH— OWN WELLINGTON. Saturday. " Get busy now," is the advice offered j to prospective house builders by Mr. L. Mcintosh Ellis, director of forestry, who ha* just returned to Wellington from avisit to the King Country milling centres from Taumaruriiii to Taihape. Mr. Ellis stated yesterday that he was greatly impressed with the increased con-; fidehca in the timber market, and with the increased domand which had steadily arisen for forest production generally, j With very few exceptions, lie said, millers , had stated that inquiries and shipments I were much better lilan was the case some months ago. ' " One of the finest points of interest throughout the .district/' he continued, " was the large quantity of beautiful, well-inasoned timber stocks now accumulated at the various mills. I estimate that there is probably something in the neighbourhood of 24,000,000 superficial feet of air-dry, thoroughly-seasoned rami, j matoi, and totara building timbers now I availablo for immediate building operations. Moreover, these stocks have been anywhere from three months to three years in stack, thus assuring the best-con-ditioned timber for housebuilding purposes, it appears to have been a matter of some Seven or eight years since such a fino stock has been accumulated, and my advico to home-builders is to get busy and take advantage of the splendid sawn timber that is available. It is very evident that prices are now dowii to a minimum, and the increasing demand will have a hardening tendency. " I might add that the ever-constant demand iter white pine butter-box timber is making such inroads on the Main Trunk supply that in a very few year* substitution of this most excellent timber will be necessary." | It was noticeable, concluded Mr. Ellis that there was no lack of employment in the industry in the King Country, although some- of the nulls were working only five days per week for the time being.