High Price of Timber.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1922, Page 2

High Price of Timber.

“DON’T BLAME THE SAW- . MILLERS.” J,y ,M IEI.Eur.APU -Xfi IMtESa ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, March 29 : “The general public very often blame Jie sawmillers for the high price "of timber,” stated a West Coast- sawmiller Ui a “Times” representative yesterday; “but it is not generally understood that the sawmiller got only 14s a .lundred superficial feet-at his mill Fat timber, which only recency was selling as high as 3os per hundred, ex yard, in Wellington. A “Freights and handling charges—irecoulited' in part for the difference,” he added. “For example, the water freight from Greyinouth to Wellington is 6s; but from Sweden to Wellington the freight is only about 3s Gd.”

TIMBER PRICES.

WELLINGTON, Match 31. According to Mr A. Seed, Secretary of the Sawmillers’ Federation of New Zealand, it was decided at a. meeting of Sawmillers, held at Ohakune, to reduce the prices of building heart, rough heart, ordinary building, s£antlings second-class scantlings and sw> > king’by 2s per 100 feet, as the accumulation of dry timber through stocks would assist building during the' winter AH reductions would apply to delivery to all places on the raiing line between Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth and Napier. Fencing battens had also been reduced by 5s and 4s 6d. “There has been much talk regarding a timber famine in the near future,” said Mr Seed. “Many people have scoffed at such a tiling, but as a result of my visit I firmly .convinced that the most accessible timber will have been exhausted in a very few years. As a result the sawmillers will lie forced to seek their supply in sparsely timbered rough country, which means greatly increased costs in working. In consequence, it will be futile to expect timber prices to remain at even the present level.;