A TALK ABOUT TIMBER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 203, 21 May 1908, Page 3

A TALK ABOUT TIMBER.

THE DUTY QUESTION. ' THE CASE FOR OREGON PINE. ''This' timber question is. going to becomo' interesting," said a Wellington authority' to a. Dominion reporter. 1 • High/prices? "Yes; and high expenses and small supplies.' You'll find that when tho railway isthrough, .the freight from tho forests above Taihapo will bo so high that it will, not pay thoi.sawmillers to send tho timber to Wellington.", They'll raise prices. '"Well, but tho imported timbers mil prevont that." - We must have kauri. . ; •■■"Not at> all. • Do you know that if I wero :going to build a house now, I'd use Oregon ;piiio for everything but the piles. It is quite as good v as j kauri. And .it can be landed at ;Wellington; freight paid,-at 7s. 6d. per hundred feet." .. ; ■ Duty-—-? -\ / . ' '. ,-' n "Two shillings extra—nine and sixpence." Why isn't it used more? ... ' Because the importers make,it''too dear'.". '.("•They would need thirty-three and a third per cent, .profit, anyhow. . : . .'/ .''No.' per cent.is ample. The. time' w'ill,- come -when somo ; outside dealer, with'plenty of V&rd -space; • will v jmport a quantity of Oregon timber cut' in .building sizes, and sell it at low rates.but at'a good ■profit." . ' v ~ V '• -- .. A "Thenvit won't matter if our timber :supplies,-do become exhausted. There will be plenty of Oregon. .; "Except that when that time comes the Oregon pine may be exhausted, too.. .But there are Siberian' and Korean, forosts. still 'undeveloped." . . .'■ ■Can they stand tho'freiglit? ; ■ .''Oregon, pin'o from Vancouver/ at all events,, can stand, it: ' Do': you. know it costs a- sovereign to send a ton of timber from hero'.to' l Inverca'rgill P" * - And from' .Vancouver—? ( ' 1 .' "Certainly not more'than'that. I/A pound a; ton would be about 4s. per hundred feet:" . So that Oregon'pine is worth, oh- tho wharves at Vancouver, about "3s. 6d. a hundred feet? -' ' "Apparently so. Tlicy must have cheap labour there." '■ '■'■

'';' In' what form ( is : it shipped ?, ■ ' ."Either in bulk—about a,foot; square, or. sawn in building sizes, for they can ( saw it, cheaper than.we can.. ;But-it is unplaned;to savo'extra duty. hero. -There is,an agitation .going -on "to get' the present dut.y removed. Yrai-watch the timber-question: it is going to b6 interesting."; \ -