TIMBER COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 494, 29 April 1909, Page 9

TIMBER COMMISSION.

;vv:IT|[E^NORTH ISLAND FORESTS;: ;' A-:' \ii ■';.;rii/.fiill'ut i iJ*rl'lij!'s!i.'-/ASSpClAi'io'N.)'. •j'.'".'". -" = ; S^^^w^-^^^^ l ' 28:; ' ■■ -ilia i'lmber Commission resumed■- its sit-' ting'..laslj',.ovehing,-.when ,Mrr Gamman's evidencb'. was - continued. / It; was to thb'.effcct that .the,quantity-of tim,ber iti. v thb district :was.-:not:inexhaustible.; AH'busli opened out OJirthd: railway■-mustVeithcr* bo C bufnt ' or .workedrbiit.v'T'he estimated life of the North Island'forests, Was. fifty years.- ,'Tho'.:niiller's :had: offered the .'Government thb chance -tons : ; tho.; price -of .timber...'.; Tho - Government ■had'already .fixed royalties, and. freight; so :ihlght;as ; Wcll fix the. price.'r,At least-£7600 ihadvbeen'.ilo.st.to'.tho.country: by': the present iWar.ybetiycen,Orb^bn;-:pke-.-ahdvrim'u.'''. ; ,had:r!seh.,ls.:.during the' last"ten- yearii-.Tf Oregon- ,piiio;:'beeTihiev pMb'Mhant'-''Sooo' iaeii would, bo displaced,-•and'carters''would ifflso' bo alfbcted. . Hardly any busitiess"• had ■ been donO: during'.tho: last month.' The timber, m the Waimarino forest had been coyer-estimated'; , hb estimates :'tbat it -' con-' : tained.lSjOOOft,,:por-acre.', A:fair:net profit ;te:millors,wa's':l2f.por.'cent..-:-The risks from jnro-.Wofe.'very-great.'.'.-• <. • : ' V . :,:Mr;:Laird,.thb itbxt-witness, cohsidored tho :pnce of houses had risen .since 1003, .but the rise; was chiefly due .----to other' expenses ■ than 'i that. of,timbor.... Ho. fcbnsidorcd' the breaking -strain 'of .tetara equalled that of Oregon: He Wi's.m/'kin'g.no profit.; Orders o.b. had fallen ■ott.;byi;so per: cent.■'.:.■■':Architects,^;espccinlly -..Grbvernmelit ■. >Tchitects,:,'- were'.. ■',' specifying Oregon-pine.: He favoured a ; diitv on':all i.ra\)orted timber, .and . suggested'is, , for smaller -Oregonr;, If,tho price • of: Oregon i-was ■,lowered;.tb. tho. present, prico of- timber many" .millers would go under. :Thbre :iverc about 60 ner ; ocnt. .of the men,;put' out pf employment , during-, the last; twolve months.:. The royalties wero,.■ too :heayy j and an : allowance /odght to rough country: 'Oregon-had. hot cheapenedvtlie cost of building -in Auckland/ •A^. : '?^.m a tlo■''.^o';;auty.'■.■^o{'il]ati^<> i ;■■^tha , ■ prices would bo acceptable.: He-had used aoasoned.nmu for framing- arid plastere's' work • aud-found it as good as.Oregbn. , His pay' , monts for: freight. ■ Were from £400 to £200 inc.profit,made.-by;merchantson-Ore"on al-,lp>Ved-of,:large-stocks being,held;- 'Sawmill•ing paid this largest wages of any' indu'strv : -Heart more-durable: than ; heart ,6f Oregon.-: A protectivo.jduty that did not protect jwas Up good. -■:-'-, : ' '-.. ' .■; :.-/Mr'.-K;-.A. .Wilson gave Evidence to show that.timber.freielltS.Avore highest:oh the railways ihere, and .in ' Attiorica, the- lowest. Minors Werb'.fairly treated with'reference to dcpteciation in connection with the mcomo tax. Ho advocated a 10 per cent, allowance m value on all plant certified to by an,accountant. The commission adjourned till to-day.