IMPORTED TIMBERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24636, 18 June 1941, Page 8

IMPORTED TIMBERS

SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF STOCKS FURNITURE MAKERS' PLIGHT (Special) AUCKLAND, June 17. Unable to secure supplies of imported timbers owing to the expiration of import licences, furniture manufacturers and cabinetmakers in Auckland, as in other parts of the Dominion, are faced with a major crisis. Several firms, whose stocks are exhausted, or nearly so, describe the position as desperate, and they may have no option but to close down.

Normally, furniture manufacturers should be carrying their largest stocks at this time of the year. The yards should be full of dry timber all ready for the saw and the lathe. Instead of that, many yards are bare, and a shipment which arrived about three weeks ago was quickly disposed of. "Twelve months ago I had 7000 feet of oak in stock, and now I have three weeks' supply," a city cabinetmaker stated. " This is so wet that I cannot use it. Much of the local timber I have been able to get with difficulty is also green. My usual stocks are 9000 feet of oak and 3000 feet of walnut, or Southland beech."

One of the largest Auckland manufacturers who employed about 60 men a year ago now has half that staff, and he stated that his normal stock of oak (15,000 feet) was now reduced to three boards. As a substitute Australian bluegum has been supplied., but it arrived " wringing wet," and was very inferior to oak. He was combining various woods, Australian and Dominion, with oak, but now all reserves of the latter were exhausted. . Merchants when interviewed confirmed thp statements made regarding the shortage of stocks and the import licence position. "The trade is in a state of virtual liquidation." said one merchant. v i