TIMBER IMPORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26227, 10 August 1946, Page 8

TIMBER IMPORTS

HUGE ORDER PLACED AMERICA AND CANADA REGULAR SHIPMENTS PLANNED (Special) WELLINGTON, Aug. 8. The first shipment of a huge consignment of bunding timber from the United States and Canada is on the way to New Zealand. It should materially assist in overcoming the shortage of homes in the Dominion. In all more than 28,000,000 board feet of oregon pine, western.red cedar, and American redwood have been ordered with the consent of the New Zealand Government. Regular shipments of this sorelyneeded timber are expected to follow the first delivery. The decision to make the purchase was made after discussions between the New Zealand Timber Merchants’ Federation and the State Forest Service. Over £1,000,000 Involved The possibility of securing Overseas supplies was de Dated, and the Government authorised the issue to the federation of a licence to import more than 28,000,000 board feet of both Canadian and United States timbers. The value of this licence, the largest ever to be issued, is expected to be well over £1,000,000 in New Zealand currency. The first supplies are expected here within a few weeks. Specifications for the order cover 15.000,000 board feet of oregon pine, 8,000,000 board feet of western red cedar, 5,000,000 board feet of American redwood and a quantity of American sugar pine. This timber will help greatly in relieving che demand for high-class joinery Umbers, a problem which has been worrying builders and merchants for many months. The overseas supplies will allow the use for other building purposes of New Zealand timbers now going into joinery. The present drain on irreplaceable totara supplies is also expected to be materially eased once the timber barter scheme recently agreed on by the New Zealand and Australian authorities is able to function fully. Agreement with Australia

Under this arrangement New Zealand is making available some 12,000,000 feet of rimu and is receiving from Australia in exchange the same quantity of Australian hardwoods for telegraph poles and railway sleepers, but delivery of these supplies is held up at the moment by lack of shipping. Australia cannot find the shipping space to send over her hardwoods in large quantities, and New Zealand has not the shipping to make the required large consignments available to Australia. It has been suggested by the New Zealand authorities that Australia should find a ship to be employed solely on this trade, but so far the Commonwealth Government has not been able to supply a suitable vessel. Meanwhile, the barter agreement is being fulfilled on a small scale, the legular vessels trading between New Zealand and Australia being able to make restricted deliveries.