OREGON TIMBER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 888, 6 August 1910, Page 3

OREGON TIMBER.

AN AUCKLAND BUILDER'S STATB. - ■ MENT. , (By Telecraph.-'-Hpecial Correspondent.),',- . ' Auckland, August .5;.. l. A surprising statcmeut in regard to the importation of Oregon timber Auckland was made in Parliament the;; other, day ■ by- Mr,-T.-..E.. -Seddon,,'. M.P.' He said that the steamer Cen-. tury, which recently called at this port, brought 3,500,000 feet of Oregon., ■ and, that' the West' Coa-st s&wmillcrs wer6' calling upon the Government "to 'in-"' crease the'duty on'the foreign timber in order .to protect .the' local. market., Inquiries made from the local timber:'merchants elicited-the fact that thesteamer Century did not land-aiiy tim-. her at Auckland,; and that the only ~ timber that' she brought to Now - Zea-" land was some plaster laths for Christ-... church: She took a large, quantity, of Oregon timber te Australia, and it i_s'_ supposed "that this was responsible.'for .? Mr. Scddon's misstatement. It'is stated':: that no great- quantity of; Oregon is now coming to Auckland; and that what ' is 'coming is not'for ordinary'• buildings, but - only,. for-. special purv poses, such as those in which; lengths unobtainable in the locaV tiin-•' bers are required. . ' •' ' ' ; A builder who was; seen on';,the; sub-,;, ject said_ that lie believed some im-' portant jobs would: haive been, stopped.. were it not for. tho.fact that, the special;;' sizes of Oregon were available for;-par--'; ticular purposes. It- was stated that.. ' the price of Oregon :.in America hat " lately increased'to' an appreciable extent, and that, therefore, it cannot now. be brought in to any large extent. '' Its landed cost makes it equal to the prico of rough heart or .medium kauri,'for which timbers it. is . sometimes:, substi--tuted. A large quantity of rimu, how-\ over, is now being brought in from the.-'. King Country, and this, it is' stated,':.' is sold at from 2s. to 35.. Gd. less; than v the cost at which the Oregon can bo" landed. Therefore, it is - stated, builders find it.much more profitable to use the" local rimu than the imported articio for purposes 'for which' both; are suit--, able.