EXPORT OF TIMBER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19939, 7 May 1928, Page 7

EXPORT OF TIMBER.

REMOVAL OF RESTRICTIONS.

BENEFITS TO THE INDUSTRY. GRATIFICATION AT PROSPECT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT, j WELLINGTON. Sunday. Gratification is expressed by Mr. Arthur Seed, secretary of the Dominion Federated Saw-millers' Association, at the action of the Government in removing the restrictions on the export of New Zealand timber, as announced last week. Mr. Seed said the removal of the restrictions would probably help to restore confidence on the part of the Australian users and purchasers in the matter of continuity of New Zealand supplies, which was a big factor in the establishment of a market. There was no doubt that at the time the restrictions were imposed, during a period of world shortage of timber, the position was such that, in the light of the information then available, the Government's action was wise from the point of view of the security of the Dominion's future timber supplies. At that time Australia could not procure timber from Baltic or Pacific Coast sources, except at prohibitive cost, as both of those sources were then unable to meet the demands of their own more immediate markets. Consequently a, good deal of attention was paid by Australian timber interests to the possibility of securing areas of New Zealand forests for the express purpose of exploiting them to inset Australian demands. Also at that time no definite inventory had been taken of the remaining sources of timber in New Zealand, consequently the Government was wise in taking steps to prevent Australia from securing any large area of our remaining forests. "Since that time, however," said Mr. Seed, "the situation has entirely changed. According to the inventory taken by the Stat? forest service, and in view of the affoi station activities in New Zealand, the Dominion is now secure in respect to its own timber supplies, arid probably it will develop into one of the main sources of production of timber and forest produce, such as wood pulp, in the world. "Any stops,-therefore, that can now be taken to assist in restoring the New Zealand timber industry to a reasorsbly prosperous state will be of material help in the financial recovery of the Dominion, besides providing assured avenues of absorption for the unemployed." Asked if there was any prospect of timber prices being increased in New Zealand as a result of the removal of the restrictions, Mr. Seed said that according to his estimate of the situation, the development of a healthy timber export trade was not at all likely to increase local timber prices. Indeed, he thought the tendency would be quite the reverse, for if the mills were thereby enabled to work at full capacity their cost of production naturally would not mean dearer timber to the people.