THE OUTLOOK OF THE WORLD'S TIMBER SUPPLY. 



359 



Mean annual increase of imports during 35 years, 189,000 tons. 

 Large and continuous as this increase is, it must be pointed out 

 that the imports have risen very rapidly of late years, as the follow- 

 ing figures will show : — 



Mean annual net imports, 1895-99, 

 Mean annual net imports, 1890-94, 



Mean annual increase, . 



Tons. 

 9,290,000 

 7,628,000 



332,000 



Value. 



£22,190,000 



17,595,000 



£919,000 



Mean annual increase in per cent, of imports, 4 - 4 % 



5-2% 



These percentages show that the value has risen more rapidly 

 than the tonnage ; in other words, that the mean price per ton has 

 increased by 18 per cent, in the course of five years. In order to 

 probe this question further, I have calculated the average prices of 

 all coniferous timber imported during the years 1895-99, obtaining 

 the following results : — 



1895, 

 1896, 



1897, 



Average Price per Ton of Coniferous Timber Imparled. 



£ s. d. 

 2 2 7 

 2 3 2 



These data indicate a slow but steady rise in prices, equal to 

 15 per cent, in five years. 



For the purpose of showing where all this timber comes from, I 

 attach the following Table. (See Table IV., p. 360.) 



Table V. — Showing the Amount of Timber Imported in 1899. 



Coniferous Timber, . 



Oak, .... 



Teak, .... 



Mahogany, 



Other Furniture Woods, 



House and Door Frames, etc. , 



Miscellaneous Timber, . 



Total, 



Per cent, of the 

 Total Quantity. 



87 

 3 



•5 



•7 

 2-4 

 3 6 

 2-8 



100-0 



