TIMBER COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 2

TIMBER COMMISSION.

. FOR AND AGAINST OREGON.-; . ■;' (BI Tlt-EOttAPH—rRESS ASSOCIATION,)'.'... .'.:.;» !:.. ■ . ■ : Auckland, May 11. ; 'At the sitting of the Timber Commiesunw. G; V. lioberts, architect, with : experience. ■/ in; California and-Now-Zealand,! said that he had used Oregon pjno continuously., Ho/ ■ was astonished at its durability. It was/ the best timber in the world; for bearing .. purposes. The;,best Oregon did not come- , here, , but -there'was- a vory good quality oil ,-. this market. , ■ ■.-. :' • -.- ■ . Henry Valder, managing director of Ellis and fiurnard, Ltd., , said that his 'firm cut , ' .' about 1,500,000 ft. per month, aud employed \ between 300 and 400 men. Although/ tho cost of living,and'provisions-'bad gonp;up of ,' lato years, tho cost of felling—that is troni log to truck —had not gone up in the sanie proportion; owing to improved methods of haulago by steam, instead of by bullocks. ■ Steam haulage had made many parts of the bush accnssiblo which wore not" previously ' so. For every 100 ft. ,of timber' prpducod; his h'rm paid ss. 6d. ju wages. Con'seqtaont-ly,-for every 100 ft.-imported, "that sum iii wages was lost to Workers hero, thought ', that air increased duty should bo • placed on '■ long lengths of Oregon pine. Ho admitted that a number of small sawmills in the VCaikato and King Country, too-in difficulties before the importation of Oregon pino commenced. ■■'.'.'■■'•'■■■ Mr. Leyland:..So:Oregon pino is not re- ; sponsible. for their difficulties? ' ' ' ''•''.- : "Witness: Not entirely. ; Neyertholess it has had a bad elVcct ..upon tlio industry. ■■ ~. iMr! (r. , -U.'-.Morio,' railway-storekeeper, at Nowinarkct, said that ;ho had great difficulty' in obtaining supplies of heart rimu and . kauri. Ho Tiad placed orders some timo ago which had not been executed yot. Hβ admitted '. that the- Government were very, exacting in regard to the quality.They had '■ used a littlo Oregon, .but the policy Wai. to Support local industry, They used about ': 100,0001't. a month.> About eighteen months' ■■' ago they had cancelled unfulfilled orders 'for 1 ' ■'. of kauri, . Since tb6 impdrtatiqu- ■ ? or Oregon pine, -however, tho; supplies ;of ' Itaui-i recjuircd by tho Government had bfcoli' ' ■ coming forward more freely.--Ho invoAlTOd - '■ au export duly on kauri.