The Timber Industry.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1850, 28 June 1886, Page 3

The Timber Industry.

Mr T Kirk report* m follows to the Go»ernment in the timber industry in the Wel< lingtoo Provincial District;— The Wairsrapa and Maoawatu valleys have long been important centres of timber conversion. Prior to the eonstractiou of railways the Wairarapa timber had to be forwarded to Wellington by timber waggons, which crossed the Bimntaka Range at an elevation of about 1,800 ft., so that haulage was costly, and the output small notwithstanding the high prices which prevailed. The mills in the Maoawatu had their outlet at Foxton and were able to send timber by coasting emit to Wanganni, Wellington, and Lyttelton. Waiting the completion of railway communication with Wellington, Foxton still continues to be the chief outlet for these mills, although the extension of the railway system has opened the markets of the settled district between Haloombe and Uawera, aod baa led to a large and increasing development of tbs Manswstn trade. Conversion in the Waitaripa has increased in a still greater ratio, fostered partly by direct railway communication with Wellington, and partly by the increasing demand for totara, which oicura m larger quantity than in the Manavatu. The total number of sawmills in the Wellington district is thirty-five, affording smployment to about 550 men and boys. The annual output u fully 85,000,000 superficial feet per anuOm, so that it is second only to Auckland in this respect, although Southland am ploys a larger number of men. All the mills obtain their supply of logs (ram trsebold land ; in some places a portion of tbs supply is obtained from settlers, a payment of 3d or id per 100 superficial feet ■ring mada as royalty for rad and white* pint. In ons instance a saw-miliar whose own land is nearly cleared stated that he expected to obtain a supply for his mill in this way for Its or six years longer from settlers resident •Mag the line of railway, although two mills in Us ImsmdinU vieigiiy had ceased working Mring to tbs sesrcity of timber. In a lew mstanaaa the logs are given by the settlers on M**«t el the benefit derived by tin partial tfryUfi <1 the laud, bat as a rule logs in tbs ■trinity of the railway always find purchasers •t the raise nemed, Tutors fetches a higher V*Ua—Mm lan, I behave, than Od or Is. U* MV-millat informed ms that be eonMimed Man wonld not bo dear at 3e 6<L ** *» M»—wain and Waiararapa. to**)

and, after clearing the timber, lay down the land in grass, either retaining it for farming purposes or disposing of it ut prices which usually cover first cost and all subsequent ex pauses directly connected with the improvement of the land ; in fact it is no uncommon thing for unimproved land to be sold at a higher price after the convertible timber has been cleared than was originally paid. An instance of this kind was brought under my notice in the Manawatu in which land purchased at £5 per acre realized £5 10s, immediately after the removal of the totara and rimn : so that in many cases the timber is obtained free of cost except possibly a small percentage for interest on the original purchase daring the time occupied in removal. The remarks made with regard to totara in Hawke's Bay apply equally to totara in the Wellington District: the percentage of waste is often very large, as I had occasion to witness at Taonoi, where the actual yield of a fine grove is considerably reduced by; the partial decay of the tops, although the sound timber is of the best quality. I have already mentioned the large retains sometimes afforded by totara, and in proof thereof may state the exact fignres obtained from a small grove belonging to Mr A. Grammer, and situate near the month of the Pobangina. That gentleman infoimed me that the grove did not exceed thirty acres in extent, all told, and was leased to Messrs Warne and Beard, whose mill was supplied by it for a period of two years, and who paid a royalty of Is 3d per 100 ft superficial, which on 3,104,000 ft amounted to £1,940. This gives an average yield of 103,466 ft superficial, equivalent to £64 13s 4d pet acre. These figures were subsequently confirmed by Messrs Warne and Beard on my paying a visit to their mill. The timber on ordinary mixed-forest land, if of fairly good quality and accessible by tramway, is estimated by sawmiliera to be worth £6 per acre. During the past year the average price for red-pine at the mills has been 6s 6d per 100 ft superficial; white-pine, 4s fid to 5s ; totara, 10s to 14s 6d; matai, 6s fid ; blaok-mai re, 22s to 30s.

In tbe value of its timber export, as well ae in its annual output, Wellington ranks next to Auckland. Although tbe actual quantity ahipped is rather less than that of Southland, its value is nearly twice as great, which is owing to its containing a larger proportion of totara, shipments from Southland consisting chiefly of red sod white pine. Daring tbe year ending the 31st March, 1884, tbe quantity and value of tbe timber export of Wellington and Southland respectively were Wellington, 1,134,960 superficial feet, £8,113; Southland, 1,312,909 superficial feet, £4,536. Tbs total quantity of timber carried on the three railway lines of the southern part of the North Island daring 1884 amounted to 103,218 tons, which was divided in a singularly equable manner, asunder : Napier-Tahoraite 13.235 tons firewood; 20,883 tons, or 10,441,400 sup. feet timber. Total 34,118. New Plymonth-Foxton, 13,115 tons fire wood; 22,218 tons or 11,109,000 sup. feel of timber. Total 35,333. Wellington-Masterton, 12,160 tons firewood ; 21,607 tons or 10,803,700 sup. feet of timber. Total 33,767.