Price of Timber.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 May 1922, Page 4

Price of Timber.

SOUTHLAND COMMENT. IN V EI’CAI’G I 1 .J.. May 18. In view of 1 lie reported, further n - duet ion ill timber prices, reported Iron Christchurch, a “Times” repurter today made enquiries as tc whether the local milers intended to take similar steps following on the Arbitration Court’s pronouncement, li was explained to him that the local millers bad anticipated the wages cut early in April, reducing the price of their 0.8. timber by 2s p-r 100 feel, this induction. it was slated, repiesenling a bigger percentage reduction limn the fall in wages, lie was led to believe that ll.ere is no likelihood of a further drop in tlie immediate luture. The forestry Department is now making millers pay more in royalty, while the limbei is ever becoming mote expensive and dilheuli. (o mill as the central supplies of Inisb become exhausted. It was claimed that the profits of the millers had fall, n considerably during the past few months owing to the laet that most e.l die mills bad been working at Irom .1 I ]HM - cen( (o 10 per cent below their capacity, due to a lagging demand. A local miller who made application to the Forestry Depart! for il license to out tolara posts, has received the license, and along with it the advice that tb.' royalty on these split posts has been increased Irom 2s to 3s per 100 loot. “I shall let the wood rot oil lII' id lather than cut it at that figure,” ho declares. A prominent miller, to whom the matter was ivlcrrcd, stated Hint tlie action of the Forestry Department was, to bis mind, exceedingly foolish, as the timber used lor posts was the waste which was fit lor no other use. Therefore lbe Department was evidently not intending to encourage the utilisation of waste, and was, at the same time, putting on an extra charge on the man oil the land. The Southland Co-operative ’limber Company lias taken the mutter tip and is communicating with the (lovoinmesit.