RAILWAY FREIGHTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1524, 21 August 1912, Page 5

RAILWAY FREIGHTS.

6 AN UNFAIR TAX? ON HARDWOOD TIMBEE. A number of country members of Parliament waited upon tho Hon. W. H. Herries (Minister for Railways) yesterday, to urgo the removal of the extra freight charge on tho railways on imported hardwood timbers. Mr. T. Buxton (Temuka) said that the rates wcro unfair to tho country as against the towns. Instead of an increased railway freight charge, duty should, if necessary, be imposed on the timber at the port of arrival. Then the towns and the country would bo on tho samo footing. If a man bought hardwood timber to make gates for his farm, he was charged rates and a half for railway freight, but if tho gates were made in tho town no extra charge was made on tho railways. Such a penalty on tho country manufacturer and the country settler was unfair. Mr. G. J. Anderson (Mataura) citcd the case of a country wheelwright'whose business had been' completely wreckcd by this freight charge. Ho could not compete with the manufacturers in tho towns. At the present time all the bridges in tho Southland county were made of hardwood, and when the timber had to be railed the county had to pay the extra charge. Air. W. C. Buchanan (Wairarapa) said tho Government ought to impiovo the facilities to the country settlers for getting building timber. For building and a hundred and one other country purposes the only building timber left was totara, and tho supply of totara of good quality was now very small. He instanced also the caso of the small ' local body in au inland district having to pay £15 extra railway carriago 011 tho timber it used, 'l'ho 50 per cent, increase on tho carriage of hardwood tini- ■ ber was a graduated tax put on the wrong way—on the pooplo who were least able to bear it. Mr. J. 11. Bradney (Auckland West) ; thought that tho railways should not bo used to collect taxes. They should be run in tho interests of tho people, and there should bo >ft uniform tariff. Mr. E. H. Clark (Chalmers) said that the Taieri County Council had entered into a contract for tho supply of 100,000 feet of hardwood timber, the'extra railago on which would amount to ,£SO. The Minister, in reply, said that the extra charge was put on at a timo whim there was a largo, influx of Oregon pino. into the country. It was then represented to Parliament and to tho Minister for Railways that the timber was cut by cheap Asiatic labour, brought over by tramp steamers not subject to our maritime. lows, nnd piled on the decks nearly to the tops of tho'masts, ami that it was possible, that tho Dominion could bo Hooded with cheap timber, which would destroy our milling industry. The Railway Department had imposed tho extra rate to foster local industry. Tho carriage of our own timber was one of tho most proiitable parts of the railway system, and he would not do anything to injure it in anv way. l Ho could hold out no hopo of mincing the rale for Oregon pine, but ho admitted I hat tho deputation had made out a fairly good caso m regard to hardwood. He would go thoroughly into the question with Departmental officers, but lie would have lo consult with representatives of the. sawmillers before arriving at any decision.