NEW ZEALAND TIMBERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20968, 3 September 1931, Page 16

NEW ZEALAND TIMBERS.

GRADE FOR EVERY NEED.

LOW BUILDING COSTS.

' MANY VARIETIES AVAILABLE.

"An appeal to people to put into immediate operation any building programme they might have in view, thus helping to tide the timber industry in New Zealand over a difficult period, was made by Mr. 0. N. Ilawson in a recent ad- , dress on "New Zealand Timbers." In making the appeal, Mr. Hawson said he ■was not only touching the community's sentiment and patriotism, but he made it quite seriously as a sound business ' preposition, for he was firmly convinced thao building costs, at any rate as far as timber and wages were concerned, were at bedrock and were, unlikely to be reduced further. As an indication of the value of the timber .industry to the Dominion as a medium of employment and wage distribution, Mr. Hawson said it was only ' necessary to mention that in the year ended March 31, .1925, the Dominion's sawmills and sasll and door factories gave ' work to 10,082 employees, whose wages ' amounted to £2,286,831, but for the year ' ended March 31„ 1930, these figures had dwindled to 7380 employees, who earned £1,659,019. Figures relating to the past f year and to the current months of the present year weie not yet available, but it was known that throughout the last nine months the demand for timber had shrunk to such an extent that over half the mills were closed and the remainder were working "writh skeleton crews only two or three days a week. Great Lais of Employment.

It was no exaggeration to say that in the entire timlter industry employment was fully two-thirds below normal. In other words, where over 8000 men were employed producing and handling timber in 1927, only 21666 were effectively employed to-day. Thus the slump in the timber industry had added at least 5334 men to the Dominion's unemployed. The second way in which Mr. Hawson suggested assistance might be afforded the industry was to demand New Zealand woods for every timber requirement. For the building of the house, the furnishing and interior finish-lines of home and office, even to the picture frames, the construction of fences,. gates and garden needs, even to the humble tomato stake. For every and each purpose there was an appropriate New Zealand timber unsurpassed in merit and value by even the best imported timber. Kauri and Totara.

The uses olf kauri were so -wide and varied, anc'l its texture and properties were of such a high standard that it was not to be wondered that it had become the most valuable species of timber milled. There was probably no other tree in the wo:rld from which could be cut such wide boards and planks entirely without defect or blemish. This property and its lasting value and ease of " working combined had set a value upon ft which precluded the use of its higher grades for building and general pur- / poses, although there was an abundant supply of this fine timber in smaller sizes suitable for all building needis ob- ' tamable at prices which were fully competitive with oither local timbers. Totara was perhaps the next of the Dominion's timl>ers in value to kauri. Its lasting qualities, even when in the ground or exposed to damp, together with its ' ease of working, were the peculiar merits ■ which entitled it to a higher value than most woods. The Maoris set great store by it and eagerly sought it for their j canoes and candngs. Its higher grades were used chießy for exterior finish in , buildings, such as sashes and window frames, external doors, cover and base boards, and for these purposes there was no-better timber. Its lower grades com- , . manded first place for sub-floor timbers, house blocks, fencing posts and in all places likely to be exposed to damp, while its sapwood was perfectly good for weatherboards and was splendid for i'raming. Timber for Bridge Building. Heart totara, Mr. Hawson continued,' r was held in high esteem for bridge building, culverts, retaining walls and other purposes where lasting timber was a prime essential. It was unquestionably the best timber for. all out-door work, surb as garden seats,, pergolas, posts and trel,lis, and appropriate grades for these uses could be had «it moderate prices. Matai stood next in value to totara. For , flooring it. was one of the best timbers ' lin the world, owing to its close texture sird hard surface, and for weatherboards it also ranked fcigh. Ifc was a splendid furniture timber. although its use for this purpose was almost totally neglected. It bad a rich golden brown colour, which, unlike most other timbers, deepened with - age. * . That part of the heart wood containing blemishes and defects was converted into fence palings, and had a great lasting value. Rimu was New Zealand's main utility timber and was in more plentiful supply than any other species. It was the principal building timber and its suitable ' J grades were almost universally used for framing and scantling. It was a closegrained wood arid took an excellent finish. It had a very high lasting value and was entirely suitable for weatherboards andi flooring. For furniture, also, rimu met. every need. For doors, panelling andi interior finish, heart rimu Veld pride oi place, but few people realised that thei clean grade of the ordinary rimu sapwood was;a timber of good lasting value' unless exposed to wet, and was quite suitable for interior doors, finishing lines and {furniture, as it took a high finish and ' gould be stained to any desired colour or Apce, Eimu for Furniture. ' f* A great deal more use could be made f>y furniture manufacturers of stained iordinary rimu to displace most of t!i* costly, but, unfortunately, rather popular, imported woods so regrettably prominent in cur furniture warehouses, seeing that thei heart timber, with its deep rich colour, makes furniture which shouid satisfy the most fastidious taste," Mr. Hawson said. " Far too many people think that just because an article is imported it must be superior to the local product, and this fallacious and pernicious doctrine has had an unjustifiably adverse effect on the sale of New Zealand woods," he continued. "A particular instance is the popular fancy for oak furniture and panelling. A ..prominent furniture maker admitted that if people knew that all oak comes from ' Japan or the United States they would not buy it so readily. Moreover, if they also realised that it was very prone to borer attack they would no more think of housing it than they would furnituro made of white pine. "It would, be idle to deny that the borer attacks many of our New Zealand timbers, but these timbers are well-known and avoided for this reason, but to imagine that the imported timbers are immune from the borer pest is an absolute fallacy; There" is a grade of some New Zealand timber suitable for every need,.and if in doubt" as to what to use for any particular purpose, seefe the advice of the Stale Forest Service.' The New Zealand timber industry needs, and most assuredly deserves, your heartiest «upV .jgort.'i ■ i