THE EX. ORT TIMBER TRADE.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 44, 18 November 1882, Page 2

THE EX. ORT TIMBER TRADE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FEILDING STAB. I Sir, — In your issue of Wednesday you j told us that the N T ew South Wales Government had taken off the duty on timI ber to that colony, and that therefore a ' larger mid more profitable'cxporfc of this article will result, and that this county will be bench* ttcd in consequence. Well, that is pleasant so far ! I wonder if our Gofernment could do anything in that direction? They made a little attempt at it when they allowed a reduction of 25 per cent, on the railway carriage of white pine for export to the Australian colonies, but even this little concession has been partidly neutralised by the authorities in "Wellington, and the fact remains that a serious obstacle is placed in the way of export of white pine, as will be seen from the following remarks in a letter signed by the local District Manager : " lie white pine for Australia. Reduction of 25 per cent on the ordinary rates for the above timber for shipment from Wanganui or Poxton, consigned to Australian ports (minimum 9d per 100 ft), ap, lies only to white pine timber consigned to Wanganui and Foxton to vessels, for shipment direct to Australian ports, and not to timber consigned to agents in Wellington or elsewhere for transhipment to Australian ports." I suppose every sawnuller in this county got a copy of this nice little letter 1 Now what does it all mean? Why make this distinction without a difference? What on earth is the good of such a restriction? So long as the timber is really shipped to Australia it should make no difference to the Government how it is done, whose effort and care should *>c to develop the trade of the colony, and the carriage on their railways, and so advance the interests of all. The outcome of their policy is this : to handicap the port of Foxton iv particular, and to retard the export of a class of timber which they pretend to encourage For instance, the freight to Wanganui from Feilding is 6d per 106 ft. more than to Foxtou. Sailing vessels of greater tonnage can load at Wanganui than at Foxton, hence the sawmiller is compelled to send his timber to Wanganui, and pay 6d extra for so doing, ernot ship at all, for no vessel can get out and in to the port of Foxton, carrying a sufficiently large cargo to warrant shippers in sending a vessel from there; but the difficulty might be overcome by shipping for steamer to Wellington, and from there to Sydney or elsewhere. 6s is the freight from Wanganui to Sydney, 2s is the freight from Foxton to Wellington, and ■Is from Wellington to Sydney, thus 6d is saved by shipping in this way, that is, 6d on the railway carriage, but then by the hair-splitting policy of the Government the 25 per cent, reduction is refused. Sir, if your Stab lever could be got under this important question, I think you might easily remove the little absurdity. — I am, &c, A Well-wisheh op Feuding. [The restriction mentioned by our correspondent is one created in the Audit Office at Wellington, and is entirely beyond the control of the District Managers. The Audit Office has no means at present of being satisfied that white pine, and no other timber, is actually shipped as such by Wellington agents, and of knowing the Government is secured from fraud. A very feasible plan would be for the Government to accept a certificate, from the Custom House after a ship was cleared for Australia, and on this document as a voucher, to refund 25 per cent, on the full railway freight to the shipper, through the stationmaster, from whose t ition the white pine was forwarded for shipment. I his rule could be made to apply to vessels loaded at both Foxton and Wanganui. By this simple plan the whole difficulty would be overcome, but we fear its very simplicity would prove an insurmountable obstacle to the Government-* adopting it.— Ed. F. S.]