THE TIMBER DEPRESSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 402, 11 January 1909, Page 5

THE TIMBER DEPRESSION.

'.'■ ■■■'. \; WEST COAST DEdKEABE;iv- : - .:' (Br TBLEOItArH—SPECIAL COBKKSPONDENT.) '■''■ ■*:;. ;: .'.'■'i^.'.';■;._ /..VciirlStcliuroh, January/10. V '.. With' 'a view to ascertaining, 'the cance .of the. statement that many; of the. sawmills in .the . North .: Island nave closed down indefinitely, a.,"'''Trnth' , . , "' representative, waited.on Mr., Goss,. president of;the.North Oantertury . Timber.Morohahts , : and; ;as.ked.'him: for. an 'explanation.' ;• Mr.. Goss replied that it .was. not aquestion, of. how tho closing down of the mills would ■affect the'local;industry, but-.a yuestionl.of Weal-industry affeojfcing the,mills.-i .The tjm,ber, trade <.?was -Slacker, now ''than it' had/boen. .for.iour/or/five years, praotically no'i'demana for timber. 'This wasVparticularly; unfortunate at thb ■present:, tirrio, as, ■; owing.' to /the building. boom which ■/ ocourreji 6ome:time ago, raosti of tho sawmills put -in., extra-, plenty and wero'capable of a greater, output than was .previously, tho ease. Tho'sawmills'on "tho West. Coast,'.which.previously' sent supplies' to Wellington as well ns supplying the. local-'market,- besides losing ■ the .North -Island trade,.--were ''■■ sending hardly any timber' to Lyttelton. . Whereas about 1 twelve .months ago somo' 3,000,000 feet, of :timber' was coming',from;tho 'West Ooast to Lyttelton monthly, .vhe'imports last October and November wore- -under a ''million feet each month. . The'' mills. on. the coast which we're, working ..at ; all- wore confining their oiitput ; to half of ; tho; previous quantity, and, besides discharging half their mpn, were working, short time;, Tho.flood-' ing' of; the market with Qrcgon; pine could not have; como. at a;more..inopportune..time.'There. was' a decided slump, 'and it naturally -followed that outside importation'made matters \a'great deal worse.. ...'-..'. •;;;.- -- ■■ ; . ; :