THE TIMBER COMMISSION AND TAXATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 534, 15 June 1909, Page 9

THE TIMBER COMMISSION AND TAXATION.

' Sir, —No one who has followed tho doings of the' Timber Commission can have much to expect from its coming report, nor (an its rcoommendations carry much respect with the thinking portion of the community. I do not favour, personal remarks, but no apology need be offered for criticising the transparent bias of certain members of the commission. Mr. Morris, who represents the West Coast sawmillers, is one of the gentlemen who invaded Wellington last session, and imperiously demanded from Parliament a prohibitive duty on Oregon pine. All through he has clearly been a 6trong partisan of this proposed duty, and every question put by him seems to have been shaded with a view to extracting an answer damnatory of this oxceUent commodity. The same remark applies to Mr. Field, M.P., as ho has not affected to be more than an advocate for the sawmillers, who want the publio, to believe that the milling industry is threatened with ruin by the importation'of Oregon pine. Mr. Mander, M.P., has golio "one better," for, at a banquet in Greymouth—given, by xhe way through tho influence of certain sawmillers—he bluntly demanded a heavy, duty on Oregon pine I That as to say, Mr. Mander, M.P., nad made up his niind ' beforo the commission had concluded its inquiries at all, and probnbly ho will have the hardihood to ask Parliament and the country to accept hie advice I Under all the circumstances, I am prepared,' thereforo, to find at least two reports from tho commission—one signed by Messrs. Field, Mandor, and Morris in favour of a prohibitive duty on Oregon pine, and another advising the roverse course. It is difficult to understand how anyoso who realises Uio criminal dearnoss of building material could seriously adriso n duty on Oregon pic.o at all. So strong, Jiowover, is Iho influence of partisanship and 6olf-intercst that « certitin typo of mind can Screw itself into any mental posture for the timo. being required. As a Free-trader, I shall donounoo all duties, whether on Oregon pino or ttnytliiug else, in spite of tho recommendations of any commission,' and, in order to awaken your readers to tho realities of tho situation, I propose to quote some figures I have culled from tho latfst availablo Customs statistics, cs shown in li« "Sba.tietic.ii of New Zealand," P&ii P" ■ ■~ l Hliiß to trade and intorohanfie.

Hero is an interesting list of Custoiae duties on building materials, showing one of tho causes of dear houses:—Cement, £28,351; glass, £14,213; iron piping, fittings, etc., £7295; sheet iron (galvanised and corrugated), £37,316; timber, £13,660; paperbangfngs, £9834; paints, £9400; nails, £16,1800; building stono, £1440; mouldings, £4250; varnish, £5637; putty, £782; glue <uid size, £738; lead (piping and sheet), £925; firebrioks, £353; furniture, £18,723; doors, £40; total, £169,637. These figures represent tho amount which reaches the Treasury. They do not,-, howover, ropreaent the total amount extracted from the taxpayers' pockets. If we add to tho abovo total a snm of 25 per cent, for traders' profits—not an exaggerated estimate, surely?—the actual burden on the people in respect of these building materials will bo found to be, jn round figures £212,000. Who,bears this fearful burden of taxation? Is it not borne mainly by the poorest people, who pay rent? At anyrate, it falls with undue.severity on them, and to increase tlie burden under any circumstances would bo little, short of a crime/ Tho abolition of those duties would bo equivalent; not to an increase of wages for this union or that union, but -eji all-round increase of wages and a permanent increase as well. In addition it would givo a healthy impulse to tho building trade, and to industry generally. There never was a greater burden on the poor man's back, or a greater drag on. industry, than these so-called. "protective" or "revenue ,, duties. Hence it js that, in spite of jhe truculent demands of sawmillers, rich "reporters, and alleged lenders of Labour, he who realises the true meaning of the thing will insist and untrammelled commerce,' believing that' tho greatest encouragement the State can give to any industry is its most beneficent neglect.—l am, etc., P. J. O'REGAN. June 3.