WHITE PINE INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3292, 18 April 1917, Page 6

WHITE PINE INDUSTRY

OBJECTION TO EXPORT TAX. (Feoji Oub Own Coerespondent.J WELLINGTON, April 12. Alarm was expressed by a deputation of the Timber Workers' Federation which waited on ihe Acting Prime Minister today lest the- Government might take the advice of certain farmers' organisations and put a prohibitive export tax on white pine. It was stated that white pine was the only timber procurable in Australasia which was suitable for butter boxes, and that to stop the export of it to Australia would paralyse the butter export industry of that country. From The point of view of the timber workers, the stoppage of export would be disastrous, for it would throw out of work 75 per cent, of the men engaged now in the white pine mills and factories. On the other hand, it was urged that tbd Government should take some action, b 6» cause it was calculated that the supplies «£ white pine in the country would be exhausted in 10 years at the present rate of consumption, and it could reasonably be assumed that the rate of consumption would increase in the future. The best plan seemed to be to experiment with other timbers to take the place of white pine for tliA making of butter boxes, and the Government was urged to try tawa, of which there were hundreds of millions of feet in New Zealand. If this timber were found suitable the Government should reserve all that was standing and allot it to the millers in the industry according to their requirements. Sir James Allen said the Government had done nothing about imposing restrictions on the export of white pine, but if the facts were as represented it might be necessary to put an export duty on. The other question was one of great importance, and he hoped that it would be considered later by the Efficiency Board. He hoped that soon it would bo possible to set up a scientific research committee, which would be able to deal with such problems as tho substitution of materials for those the supplies of which were nearly exhausted. The proposal to get up such a committee had been before the Cabinet, and ho hoped that some action would soon be taken. This committee, when it was set up, would be able to deal not only with white pine, but with other industries, with the establishment of new industries, the utilisation of waste products, and matters of that sort.