THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 646, 25 October 1909, Page 6

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

The very costly farce which the Timber Commission has been was amply demonstrated on Saturday, when -tho Prime Minister met a deputation of protesting sawmillcr's. ■■ Despite its excessive numerical strength, and despite the-length and extent of its 'investigations, tho Commission; according'toone of its members, did the very thing it .did not want to do. Instead of-assisting'the New Zealand sawmillers by -its" recommendation's in . the matter of-the duty, on Oregon pine, it did exactly the reverse. The position in this respect, was very .clearly shown by a correspondent.in.a letter published in The 'Dominion last week. The writer demonstrated 'how, under the' recommendations of tho Commission, Oregon pine" could be imported'in large-sized.lengths, add out up : herc into .smaller sizes, so as to com : pdte with tho local 'timbers at a price which must squeeze out the;, local •sawmillers altogether.' Wc ; have: no doubtafter hearing Saturday-s deputation, the recommendations of the Commission in rbspectof the duty on Oregon pine will not bo adopted by the Government.. If the sawmilling industry, is to be protected at all—and 'the•Government has'taken-up'the attitu'de'th'at it should be—then it is quite obvious that the, duty will have.to.be'arranged on .a very different bdsis altogether. It would be going too far,'perhaps,' to say 'that ;thc Timber Commission has been-absolutely useless. But we have no hesitation in stating that its appoint merit ■ has led 'to a shocking waste ol public money, and that such useful information as was gained through it, coulf] have been ohtaine'd for one-fourth the cost and in one-half the,timo.