DUTIES ON TIMBER.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 December 1921, Page 4

DUTIES ON TIMBER.

THE SAWMILLKRS PROTEST. ■ ) WELLINGTON, Nov. 28 i The saw-millers of the Dominion protest against the new tariff, in so far as 1 it applies to imported timber, as “ahsolutely inadequate.” Last week the | Main Trunk snwmillers met in confer- j cnee at .Marion, and the resolution , which was passed, protesting against tin* poliev of the Government Tn not increasing the duties on imported timber, was telegraphed to the Prime Min- 1 ister (the Rl lion \Y. F. Massey) and the .Minister foi Cusloms (the lion AA . Dovvnie Svewart. l - The resolmion points old tli.-ii the lailagi from Ohakneii to Auckland ami Wellington has been increased by the Government Rid per hundred feet, as compared with the piewar charge, that the Government royalties on the Main Trunk line have increased 2s |>er IDO feet, log measure, over "the pre-war royalties, and that these charges make the total direct Government revenue from New Zealand timbers 8s Sd per Idd lent, sawn measure, as against |hc proposed 2-, duty on foreign timbers. Failure to grant adequate protection to the industry will eventually mean ‘states the i resolution) that the low grade limber i will fie left in the hush; and the saw- ] millers consider that the Government is inconsistent in establishing a Fores- j try Department for the conservation > and better utilisation of New Zealand limbers, particularly the low grades, when at the same time the tariff proposals are such as will prevent Hie poliev of conservation and heller ntilist 1 1 io n being carried into olleei. Messrs AA’. J. Butler and A. Seed, president and set-rotary of the Dominion Federated Saw-millers’ Association, in a statement made to Hie Press, emphasised that if the lower grades oi local timber were displaced by importations, timber, of better quality would of necessity l>c cut and markded at greatly reduced cost. In these conditions a considerable part of each tree tolled would have to lie left to rot m the bush and 1 the whole cost ol working Would have to lie recovered in the price of the better classes ol timber. On - average the Government collected in railway charges, royalties, ami under other heads, a revenue of about six shillings per hundred feel on all New Zealand timbei cut and marketed, ami from this standpoint alone, they eonpaid,.,l, a duly of corresponding amount on imported limber should he justified.