THE TIMBER TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 431, 13 February 1909, Page 6

THE TIMBER TRADE.

IS.THERE A RING? CHRISTCHURCH BUILDERS SAY -YES.. [- (bI TELEOEAPH—SPECIAI COBEESPONDENT.) /.■; ; ■■-.•.'■ '■■■:■ Chrlstchurchj February ,l2. -; During the past two days a reporter toured the" city and the suburbs seeking out the ''small"- builders 'and contractors, .to. obtain their views on-the timber trade in.Christchurch, and the accuracy, of the allegation that there was a ring in operation among the timber merchants. .The reporter interviewed a large number of builders, and m almost every case the' opinion was expressed that a ring was in existence. A very'few of the builders said that they had had .no experience to lead them to believe that a ring existed, but none of them denied that there might be one operating. .. - ~ Orio of the builders interviewed said that the-charges made by the merchants weTe excessive, and the profits that they made were too great. It was; quite'.possible for them to sell i timber at a'much lower price, and still to obtain a handsome profit. ■ A few years ago a firm in. Christchurch had sold-whitp.pine for 11s.. to 12s. per hundred feet, when the yards in;the ring were;oharging -four shillings more for'.it: -Timber.'-.that" could ,have been- bought for 11s. four" years ago was -now over 165.. 6d., -and- the quality was inferior. A certain, company, had ■ imparted timber and sold, it in Christchurch tor 175., but now" the price, was 235., the ring having bought the business. The same'thing; had happened to a Lyttelton firm; that .used to. land; timber and sell it at-a: reasonable price. . A firm had sold V.D.L. -for llSy' and the demand -for it had been great, f and .had continued' even after "the -price' , had been raised to 125., but' on the November..,price, list, V.D.L; was guoted.at 195..., Three months ago a firm outside the association, had. sold Californian.red ; wood for. 265. ; ," when the ring was-charging; 335.; and , had made a. good. :profit..;A little,while.,ago,the price of Oregon pine , that rwas' not' suited-, f dressing, was reduced by'ls..6d.,, but;on;the same day the 'prices for. hardwoods were, increased. Blackwood was raised'2s., totara Is. 6d;, and V.D.L. 2s. ". ;;■-.- ■.'.■," ;

-.' ''But it's the 'same.with all timbers, " he said: ; "The prices- have .gone up, .ahd : .as a ;result. there has' b.een..a.,marked .falling-off: iin.tho quantity of building'done. -;- It. is too, ;expenßive for people to build now, and a' 'number of contractors find it difficult, to get' ■work to tender for.-; The timber yards must be. making very, handsome profits.;. They", have very valuable property-in:the ..heart of .the city -for 'which: the 'rental and other expenses ;must bo heavy,.and they■ do not need; rj... Most of, the building, work, in which : timber •is extensively used goes on outside the city boundaries. ,It would be far more economical for -them '.to' have their, yards in the suburbs.": "■: Another builder said .there was no doubt that several of the members ■ of the' association: were 'interested in' the mills on. the West Coast, which ''worked: under, an agreement with the ,asspciation,\-;and: kept 'the prices : high. ;A : third..builder said ;he had experienced, no. difficulty in,^obtaining ; doors.; and ; window, sash'es, because .he dealt outside; the ring, 'but if- the association liked to boycott guilders deah'ng with : outside firms,'-it could do so effectually,-because it controlled most of .'the large joinery works and;exercised .a; certain measure of control over others, owing ; to its control of the'timber trade. , He-was extremely doubtful as .to whether a publio inquiry would _'have any lasting' effect,' but it, would; certainly;reveal te'the publio -that kthore.wasa ring in Christchurchi v :;'/':

t;-^ : ;''.pyrv^;:op.-mDTisTRY;; : ;v^-v ! ■ Some timeagb it wasireported that, owing: to 'the unsatisfactory state of the : timber trado, ■■■ there.,was a possibility of. the closing down of Messrs. Macgregor Bros, sawmill ; on -the Tararua ranges, a few miles from Lintbh. Some forty hands were;employed at/the , mill,' ■p large number 'of them/being .married men,, and- the proposed closing';down' of the indus,try ; was viewed in the district with siderable uneasiness. , ; It. was decided, however,, on ■Wednesday.'(writes., our travelling representative),- that.the. mill should:continue ■'to.work/.. It was stated ; that there hadijately been a , revival -of. tho'■ industry, and■itimber. .orders were ;coming : in L .fairly freely.,.. It iis stated; /on .very .good.-authority, ; ; that.:-tho mil} ;wjli;;be.! cutting, for, , perhaps,',,;twenty ■ years! /.The ,timber : is;; nearly, allrimu; hardy because ~.pf its- slow -hilly j growth,' almost all heart, '' and quite . straight.. mill has ■been ierected-spme ;five, years', ,and'. at present .time', the' families.'-of; the staff ;'nunjber :bver one;hundred , ;'--,: '■■.}'/. , ■'■-.- ;;- ; ,"- : -' .■-.;.-'...;. ; ,