WHITE PINE PROSPECTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13536, 12 October 1907, Page 7

WHITE PINE PROSPECTS.

Since the Australian tariff has been imposed on white pine the manufacturers of the Commonwealth have been looking round for a cheaper substitute. This has evidently been found in the Siberian timbers that have been coming in small shipments via Japan to Sydney and Melbourne principally. It is reported from very good authority that outside the Oriental Timber Co. recentiy floated in Melbourne and Sydney, who estimate to use 40,000,000 feet per annum, the orders given for this timber j by one firm alone in Melbourne, who has been mostly using in the past white pine, and also that a well-known firm in Sydney has made similar arrangements, besides this all the sawmills in Sydney have been purchasing experimental lots of these timbers to, test thoir usefulness. They give it a very good' name, and as a matter of cheapness it is without doubt the yery best at present ! in the market for case-making i purposes. It does not seem entirely suitable for butter boxes, but for all other packing cases it is eminently acceptable, and being a much whiter timber than i white pin© it is much desired by ' the \ trade. Some of the largest users of i boxes in Australia are fitting down plants tof their own to cut this timber, particularly Lever Bros., Sunlight Soap Works, Sydney ; Eeckitt and Sons, blue manufacturers in the same city. This timber will also have a weakening effect on the Queensland hoop pine market, which will also further militate against the New Zealand white pine and kauri market in Australia. Of course, it looks as if the Federal Parliament are determined to fight the new duties to the bitter end, and with the great number of deputations that have been made on ttio new timber tariff it looks as if the Government are determined to tax the people in Australia for revenue-produc-ing purposes only. Oregon or American Douglas fur is also being used in the manufacture of cases lately, and it is understood that a large quantity is being indented for future supplies."