WOOD SHORTAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23994, 18 June 1941, Page 9

WOOD SHORTAGE

FURNITURE TRADE

GREAT SCARCITY OF OAK MANY YARDS BARE OF STOCKS With fifth period licences exhausted. Auckland furniture manufacturers and cabinetmakers are stated to lie facing an acute shortage of oak lumber, described as being indispensable for a very large proportion of household furniture. It was stated yesterday that firms had nothing to look forward to which might ease the situation before the end of the year, and in the meantime the position of several firms would be very grave unless a shipment which is due next month is sufficiently dry to help them over the period from now until sixth period licences become effective. Progressive reductions in the import quota for oak lumber, almost all of which conies from Japan, have resulted in reserve stocks being used as fast as they are seasoned. As a result many yards are practically bare of supplies. One firm which said its usual stocks amounted to 15,000 ft. stated it now had three hoards; another which a year ago had 7000 ft. in stock said it had only three weeks' supply in hand. Importers and manufacturers said that under modern methods of furniture manufacture there was no satisfactory New Zealand substitute for oak and, in addition, the Dominion had its own shortages of timber. This shortage applied to riniu, kauri and beech. Attempts had been made to meet the position by importing from Australia, but the Commonwealth also had its shortage, partly because of very largelyincreased demands as a result of the war.