THE COST OF BUILDING TIMBER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3137, 18 July 1881, Page 2

THE COST OF BUILDING TIMBER.

[To THE EdITOE OP THE DaXLV TeLEGEAPH.] Sir,— In your issue of Saturday you very rightly have called attention to the startling fact that ordinary building timber is being imported into Napier in considerable quantities from the Manawatu district, and you attribute this to excessive railway charges from the Seventy-mile Bush. You say that " the cost of railway freight to Foxton, and the shipping and all other charges from there to Napier, do not come higher than the railway carriage from the Seventy-mile Bush into town." Much as I should rejoice in the reduction of the railage from the Bush, I think it but right that, in justice to the Railway Department, and in the interest of the public, I should point out that you have been misinformed upon this question. The railage of timber is computed at the rate of per 100 feet per mile, so that from the terminus at Makotoko to the Spit—distance 70 miles—tbe cost is 2s llrf, while the freight from Foxton is Is per 100 feet (which is very reasonable considering Cook's Straits and the want of return freights), to which has to be added the railage from the bush, computed at the uniform rale of a half-penny, likewise wharfages at both ports, and insurance, bringing tbe cost to 5m from the mill, provided that this is only ten miles from Foxton. This leaves to our local mills an advantage of fully 2s per 100 feet, and it is evident that our saw-millers must charge now 2s more than these m the Manawatu district to enable the latter to compete with them.—l am, &c, Totara. Napier, 18th July, 1881.