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Export of timber from Ist April, 1912, to 31st March, 1913 : —From Auckland : Kauri, 13,624,101 sup. ft., value £121,059; kahikatea, 18,307,010 sup. ft., value £81,704; other kinds, 1,700,041 sup. ft., value £6,623: total, 33,631,152 sup. ft., value £209,386. From Kaipara, Kauri, 6,342,873 sup. ft., value £45,076; kahikatea, 19,325,955 sup. ft., value £88,049; other kinds, 1,673,353 sup. ft., value £5,994: total, 27,342,181 sup. ft., value £139,119. Imports of timber from Ist April, 1912, to "31st March, 1913: —Auckland: Sawn timber, 5,862,980 sup. ft., value £50,947; laths, logs, shingles, palings, posts, rails, &c., value £2,446: total value of timber imported, £53,393. Kaipara: Sawn timber, 48,570 sup. ft. value £652; logs, value £539 : total value of timber imported, £1,191. Timber-floating: New licenses granted, 12; licenses renewed, 67; duplicate license, 1; licenses in existence, 138. The Inspector of Forests (Mr. J. H. Boscawen) reports that during the year, he has visited and inspected all the State forests in the district. The drought in the northern district and the destructive fires which swept over many localities proved a source of anxiety, but fortunately the Crown forests, with one lesser exception, escaped damage. In all the northern forests the effect of the drought has been very noticeable, the delicate fern and shrub undergrowth being completely withered and the streams dry. The drought has also hampered the operations of the timbermills, as huge quantities of logs have been locked up waiting heavy rains to bring them down. This is, however, causing millers to depend more on tramways, which, owing to the high price of timber, can now be constructed only at very considerable cost. Unfortunately, much wasteful method still prevails in dealing with the dwindling timber resources of the Dominion. Amongst such evils may be mentioned the non-utilization of by-products from the mills; the neglect of some of the smaller and less known, yet often "beautiful and durable, timber-trees; and the felling of timber all the year round instead of in the winter only, so as to cause the wood to season properly. H. M. Skbbt, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

NELSON. In the northern part of this district there are twenty-two sawmills operating, mostly in a small way, the total output being only about 4,800,000 ft. In the Buller and Inangahua Counties eighteen mills are working, with an output last year of some 13,000,000 ft. The export of timber from this district is practically nil, it nearly all being used in the vicinity of the respective mills. F. A. Thompson, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

MARLBOROUGH. There have been eight mills working in the northern portion of the district, and one in the southern part near to Kaikoura. This latter cuts for local requirements only, and is rapidly nearing the end of the supplies. Those mills in the north are situated in the Opouri, Rai, and Wakamarina Valleys, and cut for export to Australia and to other parts of the Dominion, as well as supplying the local market. The general conditions of the timber industry in this district have been good for the past year, and the prospects for the coming year are fair, so far as one can predict. The total output for the year amounted to 12,113,079 ft., made up of 7,734,502 ft. "of rimu, 3,456,068 ft, of kahikatea, 731,932 ft. of matai, 145,870 ft. of totara, 44,607 ft. of beeches; and the royalty received totalled £3,226 15s. lOd. Of these totals i0'831,342 ft., with royalty of £2,845 4s. 9d., was obtained from State forests; and 1,281,737 ft., and £381 11s. Id. royalty, from Crown forests. It is estimated (approximately) that there remains about 70,000,000 ft. of available millingtimber on State forest reserves and Crown lands in this district, or, roughly, eight or ten years' cutting on a gradually diminishing 6'utput. W. H. Skinner, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

SOUTHLAND. Notwithstanding the lull in the timber trade during the last four months, the sawmillers in Southland have had a fairly busy year. Fifty-eight mills were at work, forty of which were working chiefly on Crown and State forests, sixteen on private forests, and two on Native lands. These mills produced approximately 48,000,000 ft,, some 600,000 ft. of which were shipped to Australia and about half the balance was delivered south of Gore and the remainder placed between Gore and Christchurch. During the year over a thousand persons were engaged in the timber trade, and £122,000 paid in wages. One of the largest mills in Southland—viz., Woodend—has cut out and the mill dismantled. The land worked by this mill has been surveyed, placed in the market, and nearly all selected. G. H. M. McClure, Commissioner of Crown Lands.