THE TIMBER FAMINE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 12 December 1912, Page 7

THE TIMBER FAMINE.

SERIOUS POSITION IN NEW ZEA-

LAND,

INCREASE IN PRICE OF KAURI

EATIiNG INTO THE BUSH AT TAI-

HAPE

The "Chronicle" has lately given, a good'deal of publicity to the serious position that has arisen dn iNetw Zealand in regard to the rapidly diminishing .timber resources of t'ne country, and the fact that in oonsequence of the dtemand-exceediinig supplies, thesaiwmillers' conference at Taihape reoenit3y raised the. price of timber. We now no to that Mr S. J .Clarke, chaitrman of a special -ooimniitbee appointed by the New Zealand Builders' Federation "to approach the Government, hlae been on a visit to Wellington, and ,in the course of conversatior with am Auckland -Star" ireporter oil the recent, increase, said that there .was stall a continuous ivpiwiard tendency. Within the last few days the price, "of fi;rst-01/as» kauri bad gone up about 3e per lOQffc, tnd although the other timbers had not risen in equal propoirfcion, there was sttili the tendency to rase. He could see njo prospect of any likely decrease an price. Various causes conspired to cause thia stiate of affairsj 'but it had'to'be noted particularly that it was getting dncrea»ingJy difficult^**S get out the tilmiber, and that the^ available large Ibush was now practically limited to the King Goanutiry. The rapid rate at iwihdch the bush was being oaten antto from Taibape on the south and from Tauoaiarun.uii" on the north, mad© it only reasonabile to suppose that there would soon, be a meeting in the middle. It was no us ecrying over spirit milk, Mr Clarke remarked, in .referring to the former .enormous destractkra of tianlber and to the millions of feet that htad' grille up in smoke and ashes. Abo,vo everything it was essential to look to the future, and the Builders' Association wia& now urging the Gtovernmeinit i to remove the question of afforesta/iion from the region of expeinimitnt and to bring it to an actuality. There was not nmv ®» much waste lais there had been, and land settlement was not permittedl on bush land un.ti.l the commercial timber had been turned into money- , In the last 15 years," Mr 'Clarke point-, _e>d out, tho price' of the 'best timbers had douibled itself. GlviTng evidenco Ibefore the Timber Commissiion less than four years ago, one of the -largest'timber miOTchiarate in the south had expressed the Ofpim'on thait the price, of timber would not rise-much more, iand should1 never go beyond lls per lOQfit. That, Mr Clarke remarked, was now the price of our cheapest timber.