THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 6

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

REPORT OF ROYAL COMMISSION. . IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS. ' ' The commissioners appointed by the Government .to \iriqiaire into' l the .timber and timber--liuilcling industries, presented their report to . thj House yesterday. The commission visited" 23 saw mills and covered 3125 miles. Altogethor 151 witnesses were examined, onrf their examination occupied 162 hours. Cordial relations were found to exist betweon sawmillers and sawmill workers, and it was shown that the wages paid are, in many districts, in excess of those prescribed by the Arbitration Court. It was found that the., machinery, in many of the sawmills is not up to ;dato, and . tends to hamper tho efficient working of. the mills. In'some cases the commissioners think that- the millers might, with advantage to themselves, .visit' other localities and ascertain how. larger and ..more recently erected mills are worked, and thus impro\;o"their';prcs.crit methods;' ' ■ :.■* : Aro Retail Prices toq'High? 1 Speaking generally, the commissioners report confidently thatalthough-. the -cost'of felling trees and delivering logs at mills siderably in the-different, localities,' it cannot bp considered ..unreasonable, under existing conditions... In many cases, however, a reduction m the cost could be. brought about, and much waste prevented by the adoption'of more modern machinery, ■ better methods,- and more economical working .in bringing it to the mill and dealing with it there.. -As- to the prices when • sold by the mill to tho consumer, tho middleman and Ithe retailer, thd report con-1 clues,.that, thei prices -now. obtaining for tho' bulk of the timber aro not unreasonable, but that there is evidence' to show that attempts had ibeeirmade, in-the past to unduly raise and maintain prices: by combination amongst millers and middlemen. Such combination' was not in the public interest.' This undesirable practice'has, however, been checked ,to a largo. extent. bjr the recent-trade depression and other conditions" affecting,"the'industry. ■ : The prices charged ; to"' consumers'' by'middlemen .'and: re'tailers .in certain districts, where anything as Vow jas : 2oft. or 22ft; .long, is classed as '.'long, lengths;" have bean unduly highland although this'had not been general, the middlemen had in. certain instances taken undue> advantage of the late demand for timber caused by thf • unusual "expansion' of the; building trade, and* had charged prices in excess of a fair profit. These high prices, seem to have been maintained, by combined action on the .part of a number of timber merchants in'some districts, but-the condition, .however, does not, appear to exist at present. ■•..'■ • Railage. . ■■■-. • ... Railway freights add largely to the ,cost; of timber in the chief centres, and in the inter'estsiof the sawmilling industry and the public the report recommends thaf sawn' timber be earned at the lowest payable- rate. With-the view;; of utilising-a* class of timber which . ]V largely .'wanted, and known as : "shorts" 1 (lengths' Cft.' an'd : under), the Govern-'ment-is: recorameilded .to reduce ; the railway freight, on-', this' "class'.'oftimber'.;Tho opinion is. also expreKed;-;that thb'wh'elo railway'tariff ion timber requires reconsideration, and /attention- is., drawn to; the evidence given before tho commission by. Mr. A>Wilson, of' Bulls, and' supported -by compiled tables embodied in, his. .evidence;'alleging vthat'- timber .is/ charged higher'rates of freight than many, other, classes of . goods,. and' also to the statement made bythe General' Manager: of New Zealand Kail-, ways (Mr. T. Eonayne) in reply, thereto.

. Effeci of Imported Oregon. ' Dealing" with the,extent, to which Oregon is imported, and tho eficct of-the importations on the ' local : timber and building industries, 'it is. stated that, the sudden ..and " enormous increase:in tho importations 'of; Oregon.is /shown , l)y : the fact. * that in 1907 ■ only' 270,000 superficial.-;feet, came tin,: whilst, in 1908,. and !the first, four. months of. 1909, a total of about ■ 21,000,000 ft." was imported.The .effect, of .this importation .onXthe ouilding: industry has been; of 1 interests of the public;,as it' has ; 'furnished a ready' and efficient "sup'plyi'rof;"bsldifrg timber of a. clais ■tfhich. would to obtain, in.-i suitable: sizes.nandijlpngthV;" Despite this,. - however; .' there :is littlo doubt'., but '•■ that the importations .-. have - helped", to . intensify the re-, cent depression in the* milling' industry. :, , In view -. of the large - quantity of Oregon iflged.for Mother,,purposes,:,thah..-joists, and long >beai6s, ;it ,; is.iWcommfshded'"th|iJ;. a duty of; three feet be im-.-pssep;!on sjii<sHunden''j_ts.elyfi .inches, by, two inches, or. equivalent, ■, in; any / lengths; other, sizes .under jtwentyrSve ':foet' in' length :to?re-main-as-at-present,.subject."to a .d«{y of two 'Shillings per' one'' hundred ' superficial ' feet; : lengths/from twenty-five to thirty-five feet to 'be'.'reduced to a'.duty of;one shilling per one hundred, superficial, feet;. and, lengths • above thirty-five feet to.bo.admitted'dutyfree, ,

, Assisting New Zealand Timber.. . :-,The commission considered it would be ad-' Visable to encourage a.;greater use .of native timbers, the ignorance ...of their, properties ;bein'g . for: tteir. lack 'bf':uso,,.and, to tho above' ; end, !the 1 publication 0$ a hand-booi: by-'''the" i Government, giving pvhculars of ■~the.::ehaticte'ristics, qualities;strength, and durability* of l-New' Zealand timbers; is recommended. VIJ ,; ~V,'(,X,'.r ; i . ■ i Tho report';_also recommends ...that. more. at. tention. bo paid" to the seasoning' of . timber, a :gT.eat 'amount 'of' unseasoned •'wood having been used, for building purposes'. Eefefring to arti-' ficial seasoning, tho report,has ,no specific recommendation to. make, in regard ,to any special process, -and considers it', desirable.. that the Government .■■. should,. make full • . investigation into: the many processes'.'°l ".artificially seasoning -.and timber," such investigation' ,to 'include.: inquiry, .'into. :(1) .the'; extra length of; life of.timber,.nfter" ; being treated; .'(2) the extra strength imparted to the timbers; and'(3). tjio .extra' cost of timber after ■underßoing treatment by each process in, voguo.' . It is essential that- some process should be brought into, general use, as one. of the causes tending to/lessen the use.of New Zealand timbers ja an-.impression that fow kinds will endure any length of time when exposed to the weather, or ; brought; into permanent -, contact with the ground. In consequence-: of' this; there is an /increasing demand: hardwoods, iIE - the j meantime, consideration :: should ■ bo -given to the 'question "of'. adinit'ting, ■ duty -. free, 'CBftain sizes of; hardwo()ds,;actaally • necessary. and the-importation o'fVhich will not materially, affect our , own~timber in;diistry.,.;

: Our j Sawmills: Over-Production. : ,tThe;; commissioners ;are. of '','opinioh that ' the sawmilling • industry', is not in a satisfactory condition .at = present, the main cause's being: (1); beneral trade depression 'arid local firianciai stringency ; (2) : over-production'.: Prosperity long, enjoyed caused the demand -for: sawn timber, to exceed' the supply; and ?many hew •mills"were erected and plants enlarged, so that in; ten years. the' sawn". output . more than doubled. Then the high-pressuro demand ceased, and .sawmillers were faced with a glutted market; "To assist in relieving the. pre. sent depression it is ; suggested that tho Government should' endeavour to-make a more extensive uso of New. Zealand; timber in its. public .Works. The'statistics-Bbowed. a replacement of New Zealand .timherl, by ;Anstralian timber which wtLS' extremely great, /and ' apparently .more than justifiable. ' '•" Tho increasing demand vfor : wood pulp for paper-making' is - a feature of the timber . industry, in other ..countries, 'and: the commission recommends; the 'Government to'" consider' this phase 'of.the question.' Much of the timber left by.' millers,' both' 1 at the mill and' in the bush, might be utilised for'wood pulp-making.' -With •thoi'above scheme in view; tho Government is "fecommended to.test the-various timbers to which, are most.-suited ;for pulping. ■

■ Afforestation. . ; '", . . Afforestation should bo vigorously prosecuted on; poor lands' unfitted- for settlement, arid planting should be commenced and carried on ■'over , the . extensive and'- wastes on the West .Coast of. the" North'lsland, particularly neat Eahgitikei, Waitotara, Kawhia, and north, of Autklaifd, whilst .largo tracts of riverbed now infested with noxious weeds might also : be: plante'dimore lin Canterbury'.' ',' ln conclusion the report says: The policy of supplying settlers with tree-plants might, with advantage, be continued whero there is a bona .fide . intention to plant and care for such trees. Many sottlers, however, are unaware of the kind of trees best suited for their holdings, and; an indiscriminate distribution of - tree-, -plants: is-often wasteful. If settlers are to be supplied ,in' .this manner; extra quantities of plants niust bo-raised-to meet the demand, and' special funds, should be provided foT this purposo. It; has been found,' however, that the ' best: results .• havo been:- attained when a small charge is made for plants, and that free distribution is not . a success.