THE TIMBER CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 408, 18 January 1909, Page 8

THE TIMBER CRISIS.

OREGON PINE. WHAT. TWO ARCHITECT'S SAY. "It's all moonshine" was tho comment of one of the city architects when ho read in The Dominion of Saturday; last the allegation contained. in an article under - the heading . of "Idle Timber Mills," that architects were showing a .preference for Oregon pine, against tho interests of the New Zealand timber industry. So far as his personal experience went, Oregon timber was very rarely specified. One advantage of Oregon pine—aud a very great advantage—was ..that it could bo purchased in any specified length. A. man did not pay for, more timber 1 than he actually required. With_New Zealand timbers it was-different: supplies could only bo bought in catalogue lengths; and, if a man. wanted to use less than that, he had, neverthess, io purchase up to the minimum quantity—a manifest) injustice. . "Until the millers climb down from that position, things will remain as they are," concluded this gentleman. "I think New Zealand is jolly lucky to get Oregon pine just now," was another architect s first observation on the situation. "Oregon is being used, and specified for, pretty freely,", he went on to say. "We, as architects, have to study the interests of our employers, the people who want •' buildings erected; and in doing so, we naturally specify what we considbr to be the cheapest and best material. \.We find that the Oregon which is being landed here has its uses. It is of good quality, and is not affected by the borer. Our New Zealand '0.8.' timber, i.e., ordinary building timber, is too sappy. The millers have entirely theruselves to blame," ho.concluded. "For the last two years they have been running up tho price every two or three months, and they have seriously . affected the timber crop in New Zealand by cutting wildly into it." /