THE TIMBER SHORTAGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16614, 9 December 1919, Page 4

THE TIMBER SHORTAGE.

BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRIES. EXPORT THEORY EXPLODED. A SLIGHT RELIEF POSSIBLE. The Board of Trade conferred last week with an Auckland deputation of niwmiilers, timber merchants, builders, and members of the Timber Myrkqrs Union respecting the shortage of building timber in Auckland. It was pointed out by tho board that tho report that the shortage was tho result of large exports to' Australia was not borne out by the export figures, which had been investigated by lho board. The figures showed, for instance, that durino- tiio year ended March 31, 1913, out oT a total of 21,833,00011. of kauri produced 10,454,0001 t. was exported by 11 sawmills, whereas during tho four months July 1 to October 31 last the output amounted to b,435,000ft. (\\luch is equivalent to upwards of 25,000,0€0i t. for a year), out of which 1,243,000 ft. (which is enuivalent to approximately 3 500,000 ft. For; a year) wus exported by 10 mills. Thus for tho year ended March 31, 1918, tho percentage of export was almost 50 per cent., whoicas for tho four months just ended tho percentage of export was only about 14 P °ln'l-ogard to rimn the figures quoted hv the board showed that during the year ended March 31, 1018, the total nroduction in both Islands was 111,319 000 ft.-, out of which 27,583,000 ft. was exported by 44 mills. During the four-monthly period abovo-montioned the total production of rimu was 47,291 000 ft. (cauivalcnt to approximately a year), out of which tho’oxport was only 3,022,000 ft. (equivalent to an annual export of about O.OOO.OOOft.’U.from 25 mills. Tho percentage of export of rimu in the year ended” March 31, 1918, was somewhat over 25 per cent., while for tho four months. July 1 to October 31 last, the export percentage was under 7 per cent. It was also pointed out to the deputation that the whole of the export from the North Island with tho exception of tho kauri shipped from Mercury Bay, was from the sawmills situated in the North Auckland district, from which transport to Auckland is difficult and expensive. From the South Island tho w'hole of the export had taken place from the West Coast, the timber being used as back loading for cargoes. In regard to heart of raatai and totara, tiio board reminded tho deputation that export was prohibited.