TIMBER IMPORTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 60, 3 December 1937, Page 8

TIMBER IMPORTS

-Pre88 Associalton.)

Allegation of Dumping BIG AMERICAN SHIPMENT

(By Telegrapb-

' " WELLINGTON, Ddc. 1. ! - Suggcstions that importers ■' were dumping overscas timber in New Zealand at the expense of the New Zealand timber trade were made by Mr. F. L. Turley, of Greymouth; tho -workers' agent, at to-day 's Conciliation Council hearing in the timber trades dispute. He said he understood that 1,000,000 feet of timber " was being shipped to New Zealand from North America in the immediate future. Mr. G. Cook, employers' assessor, said he assuined Mr. Turley was reforring to. timber coming by the Kakapo. This was an accumulation of 18 months' orders and was being brought down now that tonnage was available which would otherwis.e have been required for the usual trade to the East. The wood in question was redwood " Tequired for joinery purposes in place" of totara. It was all ordered in advance and was not being forced on the consumer. "Freights are low because the mugs overseas' are killing one •another," said Mr. Turley. . ... "I venture to say freights have never been dearer than in the "case of that cargo now coming," replied Mr. Cook. Mr. A. J. Seed, Wellington. employers' agent, said that last week a large sbipmen't of Japanese oak" which he per- ' sonally thought should be debarred, from entry into the Dominion, arrived at Wellington. It was imported solely be,cause the public wante'd it. It was poor trashy timber' at b'est, but was in aemand with buyers for furniture because the public were always clamouring for oak. "I want to answer the suggestion that importers are foreing overseas timber on the public," said Mr. Seed. "The public are simply being given what they wanL"