Empire share of imports. 15. The value of the various classes of timber imported from Empire and foreign sources for the year 1926 is as follows: Thousands of £. --- Merchant firms. Empire Imperial Thus, 94 per cent. of the imports of softwoods and 96 per cent. of those classed as miscellaneous which are mostly softwoods, were drawn from foreign countries. The Empire, however, supplied 30 per cent. of the imports of hardwoods. If teak be eliminated from the statistics in regard to hardwoods the position is even less satisfactory, for nearly one-half of the imports of hardwoods from Empire sources consists of teak, of which the Empire through India possesses practically a monopoly. IV.-PAST EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF EMPIRE TIMBERS. 16. The encouragement of a wider use of Empire timbers, especially of those only little known, demands organised and continuous effort. Such success as has so far been attained is very largely due to the initiative of a comparatively few merchant firms. Two public organisations are at present interested in extending the use of Empire timbers in the United Kingdom, namely, the Empire Forestry Association and the Imperial Institute. 17. The Empire Forestry Association is of recent origin. It was incorporated by Royal Charter on 1st November, 1921. It is a voluntary Association supported by those interested in forestry in all parts of the Empire and thus forms a valuable means for the interchange of information and experience. Amongst its objects is the fostering of public interest in the merits of Empire-grown timbers suitable for commercial purposes. 18. One of the functions of the Imperial Institute is to promote the use of Empire products, and in pursuance of this general purpose an Advisory Committee on Timbers was formed and has been in existence since 1916. This Committee is * The latest year for which particulars of countries of origin of all classes of imported timber are available. engaged in a survey of the lesser known Empire timbers and in bringing to the notice of the trade those species which it recommends for industrial use. Within the somewhat narrow limits of the equipment available, the testing of Empire-grown timbers, with a view to the determination of their physical and mechanical properties and their working qualities, is also undertaken at the Imperial Institute. 19. At the meeting in London of the British Empire Forestry RecommenConference in 1920 recommendations were made to the various dations of the British Governments of the Empire for the conduct of research both Empire into the growth of forests and into the utilization of timber. Forestry So far as Great Britain was concerned, the recommendations Conference, included on the one hand the establishment of a research insti- 1920. tute to deal with the problems of growth, and on the other hand a research organisation, which should include a central institute, to investigate the utilization of timber and of forest products. 20. In pursuance of these recommendations, the Imperial Imperial Forestry Institute was established at Oxford in 1924, in close Forestry Institute, connexion with the University, for the higher training of Oxford. Forestry Officers, the provision of special and refresher courses for Officers already serving, and the conduct of research into forest production. Research 21. Investigation into the utilization of timber and of forest Forest Proproducts was entrusted to the Department of Scientific and ducts Industrial Research, which in 1925 established a fully-equipped Laboratory, Forest Products Research Laboratory at Princes Risborough Princes in Buckinghamshire. The work of this laboratory covers the Risborough. whole range of forest products research, as may be seen from the following list of the sections of the Laboratory organisation and their main purposes. i. Timber Mechanics : (a) Comparative strength of timbers. (b) Tests on structural sizes to determine influence of defects. (c) Special tests for specific uses. ii. Wood Preservation :— (a) Durability; in natural state and after antiseptic treatment. (b) Toxicity of antiseptics. iii. Wood Working : Group III. Sawing, machining and finishing tests. i. Pathology: (a) Decay caused by fungi. (b) Attacks by insects. ii. Chemistry of Wood : (a) Wood analysis. (b) Derivatives of wood. (c) Chemical changes due to seasoning, or attack by fungi and insects. Group IV. Utilisation: (a) Liaison with industry. (b) Industrial investigations to confirm uses and to suggest markets. Organisation 22. The Laboratory at Princes Risborough is organised on a of the national and not at present on an Empire basis. Its main Laboratory at Princes purpose is to promote, in the national interest, the more Risborough. economical use of timber by the timber-using industries of the Exporter and agent. United Kingdom. For this purpose, the origin of the timber is a subordinate consideration, for to the timber user it is as important to avoid waste of foreign-grown timber as of Empiregrown timber. The services of Princes Risborough are primarily for the assistance of the timber-using industries in the United Kingdom, but investigations of a wider character are also conducted on behalf of the Forestry Commission and of other timber growers in the United Kingdom. V. TRADE ORGANIZATION IN IMPORTED TIMBER. 23. On its way from the forest to the point of consumption in the United Kingdom, timber passes through certain well recognised trade channels. The exporter or shipper in the country of origin sells through his accredited agent in the United Kingdom to the timber importer, who, in his turn, disposes of his stock to the timber-using industries and to the smaller timber merchants. Most of the timber produced in European countries is exported by sawmill owners who are themselves shippers; but in some parts of Europe and in certain other countries, timber extraction is in the hands of comparatively small firms, and in such cases the shipper acts as collector, purchasing supplies and grading and sorting them into suitable parcels for the export trade. Even large users of timber rarely buy in the country of production. Practically all imported timber passes through the hands of the shipper's agents who sell to importers in various parts of Great Britain and, who being in close touch with the local markets, are in a position to advise the shippers of the sizes and qualities in special demand at the various centres of consumption. With his knowledge of both parties to the trade -shippers and importers-the agent is in a position to make advances to the shipper and also at times to finance the importer by giving him credit. merchant 24. When the timber reaches the importer it has reached the Importer point of primary sale in the United Kingdom. The importer and generally purchases the timber outright. He it is who usually carries the large stocks both to serve big consumers who may not themselves buy through agents and to supply the requirements of timber merchants. One witness has given us the following graphic description of his experience of the distribution of timber after purchase by the importer. 66 A stock appeals to an importer as being cheap the time appeals to him as being opportune; he thereupon decides to purchase the consignment, without, perhaps, having yet sold any part of it. He then sets about disposing of what he has purchased. One parcel or size may be sold to a builder, another to a toy maker, a third to a packing case maker, a fourth will go to the manufacture of cable drums, a fifth to a broomhandle manufacturer, and so on. He also sells a large proportion to the timber merchant." "The last link in the organisation for the distribution of timber is the small timber merchant, who has obtained his supplies from the importer. In every town, in every district in the great cities, one finds the timber yards. Here is stacked where everyone can see it, quantities of timber in various sizes. The man who wishes to put up a chickenrun goes to the small local timber merchant and buys from him. The small builder who has an urgent job patronizes him and firms who use small quantities of timber for repairs and other odd work are his customers because he can deal with their requirements quickly and can give them mixed loads of various sizes." 25. A new timber can only be deemed to be properly established When a in the trade when importers and merchants accept the risks associated with the carrying of stocks in the manner just described. timber may 26. The timber trade is divided into many sections according Trade to the general character of the timber or of the use to which organisa it is put. The importers and merchants dealing in the different classes are organised in the chief timber trading centres into trade associations-such as the Hardwood, Softwood, HomeGrown Timber, Pitwood, Plywood and Sleepers Associationsall of which are amalgamated in the Timber Trades Federation of the United Kingdom. Timber agents and brokers have their own separate organisation which is, however, affiliated to the Federation. Manufacturers such as sawmill proprietors, furniture manufacturers, builders' merchants and carriage and automobile manufacturers also have Associations. These organisations deal with matters of current trade interest and practice. 27. We propose now to consider the import trade of the divisions of United Kingdom in its main divisions--the softwoods and the hardwoods-in order to determine for each class the nature of the demand and the character of the competition which suppliers from the Empire must face in the United Kingdom market. Two main the trade. Sources of imports. From From. Newfoundland. VI. SOFTWOODS. 28. In paragraph 15 it was shown that of the imports of softwoods, representing in value a trade exceeding £31 millions in 1926, roughly 95 per cent. were drawn from foreign sources. Eighty per cent. of these imports were supplied from Northern Europe-Russia, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Norway and Poland. The United States sent over 6 per cent. and the whole of the Oversea Empire contributed less than 6 per cent. 29. Exporters of softwoods from Northern Europe find their most important market in the United Kingdom. They have accordingly made a close study of its conditions and requirements. Timber arrives graded and sawn to the sizes the markets demand; and marked in a manner which enables buyers to purchase their supplies on specification without previous inspection. 30. The only countries in the Empire which now possess large supplies of coniferous trees within easy reach of a seaboard are Newfoundland and Canada. Except for the export of a small quantity of pitprops, Newfoundland has no share in the timber trade to the United Kingdom. In fact, Newfoundland has for the present practically ceased to be an exporter of timber to any market, either in America or in Europe. Her coniferous forests are now being used for the manufacture of paper. Already paper has gained second place in her export trade and promises soon to displace from its premier position the trade in cod fish. According to the Newfoundland trade returns the total exports of paper in the year 1st July, 1925, to 30th June, 192€, amounted to 106,000 tons valued at £1 millions. Of this quantity 68 per cent. was sent to the United Kingdom and the balance, except for a small shipment to New Zealand, to the United States. |