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1935. NEW ZEALAND.

KAURI-GUM INDUSTRY (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1935.

Presented, to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 5 of the Kauri-gum Industry Amendment Act, 1914.

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist August, 1935. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report under the Kauri-gum Industry Amendment Act, 1914, for the year ended 31st March, 1935. 1 have, &c., W. Robertson, Under-Secretary. The Hon. Sir E.A, Ransom, Minister of Lands.

Market conditions during the past year have not shown any appreciable improvement. The demand for medium-grade (varnish) gums has shown a continued falling tendency, with prices still at a low level. Some slight improvement in prices for the lower-grade (linoleum) gums has been noted, and there is a fair demand for this class of gum from England and the Continent. The American demand, however, is still confined almost entirely to varnish grades. For the time being kauri-gum has lost its position in the varnish and lacquer industries. Hope for the future of the industry exists, however, in the production of pure gum by a new solvent process, the possibilities of which are at present being investigated. Undoubtedly a standard purified product of a high quality can be prepared, but commercial production has not yet been advanced sufficiently to ascertain whether it can be marketed profitably under constantly increasing competition from the synthetic resins and plastics. Export of Kauri-gum. For the year ended 31st March, 1935, the export amounted to 3,412 tons, of the value of £91,070, an average price of about £27 per ton. The tonnage, value, and average price per ton of the export for the past fifteen years are — Year ended Tonnage v , Average 31st March, exported. ' per Ton. £ £ 1921 6,131 - 521,701 85 1922 3,968 391,301 98 1923 6,080 520,409 85 1924 6,923 640,712 92 1925 5,132 446,019 82 1926 5,495 414,420 75 1927 4,529 301,335 66 1928 4,531 267,559 59 1929 4,566 241,223 53 1930 1,911 264,452 53 V-- 1931 3,145 155,602 49 1932 3,164 124,757 39 ' : 1933 2,056 57,970 28 1934- 3,378 83,945 25 1935 3,412 91,070 27

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Details of the yearly export, and the country to which exported, from 1923 to 1935 are given below :—

Particulars of Kauri-gum exported from New Zealand from 1923 to 31st March, 1935, inclusive.

Production during the Year. The kauri-gum received at Auckland from the gumfields for the past eight years is shown, month by month, in the following table : — 1927-28. 1928-29. 1929-30. 1930-31. 1931-32. 1932-33. 1933-34. 1934-35. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. April .. .. 317 295 339 441 309 405 240 202 May .. .. ..277 390 246 374 394 245 161 224 June.. .. ..359 331 285 247 263 144 238 148 July .. .. ..230 364 349 309 244 153 162 150 August .. .. 241 331 317 194 251 43 150 193 September .. .. 323 288 323 214 208 128 219 201 October . . . . 385 356 534 328 192 176 320 307 November .. .. 500 407 441 317 276 182 326 243 December . . .. 284 245 268 277 172 188 209 268 January . . . . 278 290 371 158 194 167 165 312 February .. .. 307 275 412 281 277 213 325 274 March " . , .. 411 240 563 386 224 185 289 336 3,912 3,812 4,628 3,526 3,004 2,229 2,804 2,858 Kauri-gum Industry Account. The assets of the Kauri-gum Industry Account have been realized, and the account has been abolished by statute.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (710 copies), £3.

Authority: G. H. Loney, Government Printer, Wellington.—1935.

Price 3d.]

2

t I I " I t I - Country to 1st April, 1923, to 1st April, 1924, to 1st April, 1925, to ! 1st April, 1926, to 1st April, 1927, to 1st April, 1928, to which exported. 31st March, 1924. 31st March, 1925. ; 31st Slarcli, 1926. j 31st March, 1927. 31st March, 1928. 31st March, 1929. i Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. £ Tons. 1 £ United States of 4,197 449,117 2,624 250,379 2,682 211,623 1,863 136,397 2,087 120,349 139,672 America United Kingdom 2,409 170,785 2,360 169,975 2,350 179,868 2,036 133,032 2,043 127,401 1,504 77,479 Germany .. 66 2,832 117 6,367 107 4,670 127 5,432 119 6,613 234 7,949 Canada .. 118 7,714 97 5,726 101 3,569 144 7,181 165 6,329 208 7,448 Australia .. 7 787 24 2,006 9 1,198 15 911 33 1,448 8! 408 Belgium 33 1,168 114 4,563 .. .. 60 1,094 France .. 55 5,855 79 5,121 135 9,136 89 6,980 60! 3,915 150' 5,206 Austria-Hungary Russia Netherlands .. 38 1,582 53 1,917 46 1,809 34 1,950 3 483 29 1,068 Sweden 20 820 .. .. 46 1,929 1 132 .. Italy •• ■■ 26 1,647 55 3,546 .. 2 51 2,469 .. .. 10 127 Japan .. 7 393 3 .162 22 1,027 10 476 20 843 26 772 Hong Kong Denmark .. • . .. .. ■ ■ 10 350 China . . . . ■ • . . . . ■ ■ • ■ • • • • 15 25 South African .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 Union j Totals .. 6,923 640,712 5,432 446,019 5,495 414,420 4,529 301,335 4,531 267,559 4,566 241,223 ! I Country to 1st April, 1929, to I 1st April. 1930, to i 1st April, 1931. to j 1st April, 1932, to 1st April, 1933, to 1st April, 1934, to which exported. 31st March, 1930. 31st March, 1931. 31st March, 1932. j 31st March, 1933, I 31st March, 1934. 31st March, 1935, Tons. £ Tons.! £ i Tons. £ Tons.; £ Tons.J £ Tons. £ United States of j 1,967 127,723 823 46,510[ 681 33,082 268 11,208 875; 30,174 394 20,602 America I ' ' I United Kingdom 2.425 117,677 1,957 96.679 1,968 71,572 1,298' 36,150 1,730 37,218 2,267 54,365 Germany .. 100 2,646 62 1,508 52 6,725 70 1,104 325: 5,093 251 4,986 Canada' .. 202 7,169 127 4,726 173 4,156 169: 3.157 94 2,530 114 2,623 Australia .. 106 3,908 37 1,423 65 1,862 91! 2,251 120 3,355 150 3,588 Belgium .. 30 635 43 975: 69 1,154 15 230 11 208 . . France ... 89 3,764 71 2,701 94 4,173 2,452 143 3,642 116 2,768 Austria-Hungary .. .. . ■ .. .. ■. ... Russia .. . . .. . . .. Netherlands .. 2 285 4 218 .. j . . .. .. 3 90 Sweden .... .. 10 282 32 837 11 218 20 461 .. Italy .. 31 555 28 494 75 825 Japan .. 20 645 11 580 30 1,196! 24 : 645 32 744 42 1,223 Hong Kong . . . . . . ■. .... .. . . . .. 26 Denmark . . . . . . .. China .. ■ . • ■ I ■ • • • ■ ■ • ■ • • South African I .. .. .. ■,. .. .. Union ; j ' 1 Totals .. 4,941 264,452 3.145 155,602: 3,164; 124,757 2,0561 57,970 3,378 83,945 3,412 91,070 I I ! i II