TIMBER OUTLOOK.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1922, Page 2

TIMBER OUTLOOK.

FUTURE PROSPECTS DISCUSSED

WELLINGTON, April 5.

Interviewed in reference to the timber industry along the North Island Main Trunk and Rotorua lines, Mr Arthur Seed, secretary of the Sawmilling Federation for New Zealand, who recently visited the mills of the localities mentioned, said one outstanding impression he had received'was that there was a scarcity of milling timbers. The timber along tue Main Trunk line had been cut out at a much greater rate than even many of those interested in the industry realised. A few years would see the majority of the mills in that district cut out.

As to the conditions of the timber industry generally, Mr S ee d said he had found trade conditions very bad. Quite a number of the mills had been unable to open up since Christmas owing to lack of orders. Most of the mills had accumulated stocks —the majority of them to a point beyond their capacity to finance. This should mean that plenty of drj timber would be available through the winter, but meantime it would necessitate most of the mills working short time or shorthanded.

Mr Heed explained that a meeting of saw m filers, which he had attended, was held at Ohakune recently, when 1 1 was decided to reduce the prices of building heart, rough heart, ordinary id filing scantlings, second class scantlings, and sarking by 2s per 10Q feet. The sawmillers realised that it was the duty of everyone a t the present time to make sacrifices and to do everything possible to reach more mmnal conditions. They however,• realised that no appreciable reduction in the costs of production had yet taken place to warrant the redjuctjion de* eided upon - in fact the trelid h£ fcoSta due to the reduced sales and outputs and increasing values fully warranted an increase in prices at the moment. Ways and means to reduce the production costs to meet the decrease in prices were left to the indicidual miller to work out for himself, while the employees would be asked. to. bear their share by a reduction in wages. ENCOURAGING BUILDING. Having in view the widespread shortage of cottages, the sawmillers’ committee made an endeavour to reduce those lines or grades of timber required in the erection of workers’ homes, and to give a practical lead to the builders and carpenters who had recently been discussing ways and means by reducing the cost of cottage building. “The general impression prevails among the public,” proceeded Mr geed ‘that if the sawmillers were to reduce the price of timber they would he able to sell more and carry od, but it has vO be remembered that all timber now ,u stock has been produced at high wages. A day or two ago the price oi building timber was quoted at 38s per 100 ft ex yard. It was not stated However, what class of timber was referred to. The price of scantling timber (which forms the greatest pro- , orfcicn of timber used in a dwelling) x yard is 31s 6d, but the price ex : ijckf from the sawmillers is now 16s Od. It can, therefore, be seen that the country sawmiller cannot be blamed lor the high cost of building timber, and the reduction of 2s recently announced (bringing the price to 16s 6d) is considered by the sawmillers to be die utmost amount by which prices an be reduced.” THE COST OF FENCING The Waikato price lists) had been adjusted to bring them into line with lie Main Trunk lists. All the reduc- . ions took place as from March 25th, and would apply to delivery to all [daces on the railway line between Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, and Napier. Fencing battens had al<o been reduced by 5s and 4s . 6d, .vhicli was expected to encourage faruers to commence long- delayed repair work to fences. “There has been much talk regarding a timber famine in the near future.” continued Mr Seed, “and many people have" scoffed at such a thing, but as a result of my visit I am firmly convinced that most of the accessible timber will have been exhausted in a very few years. As a result, sawmillers will be forcefi to seek their supplies in sparsely-timbered and rough country, which will spell greatly increased costs of working and in consequence it will be futile to expect timber prices to remain at even their present level.”