MENACE TO THE TIMBER TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1923, Page 4

MENACE TO THE TIMBER TRADE.

i ] TII K H IvSTJi ICTI E PIiOPOSAI.S. i 5 PRESS Oi’IXLOX OF POL'IS YEARS ] _f°’ j ( Republished l>y Request). 3 A MENACE TO LOCAL INDUSTRY. 4 (Grey River Argus, July 2nd., 1010.) J Nobody would dispute the wisdom of 5 Sir Francis Dillon Hell in Ids endeav- ] our to ensure that there shall ho a j supply of timber as adequate as po.-,-J si bit- for Xew Zealanders of future j generations. I ldess steps in tiiis cliJ lection. I,ere, and in other countries j me now taken, there must come a lime J when ti'iiher will neither be exportable J j not importable, as the supply would =J then he everywhere exhausted. New 4 Zealand is not justified in taking the 'j risk of relying upon hopes of securing j outside supplies; and therefore the =| only (piestiou kit to decide is that of i the (|uiekesl and cheapest way to meet j the difficulty. That question, however, ■j so far as the Minister is concerned has J been decided already, for he is evidentj ly satisfied that he lias found the right way. The first Minister to reach such Jj a decision, lie must lay claim to a J knowledge of the whole timber quesJ tion. superior to that of all who differ 1 from him in this important matter. no far as the country generally and this part of it, in particular, are con--5 corned, however, it is for the Minister 3 to ju-tify his assumption —-and his poa liey-- by a demenstration of the wis--j doia. iustiee and print ical benefits of ~ j i!-o i.uii-e. of ai tion to which he proj 1 po o to c mmi! the (minify. So far k ! b }»:< ■ '.'i|ed to do so, ami lie there- | i lore ...neio . and >v<* believe, does not jf | re- ;o ;b , i.urse taken by the people J ■ V,V4 Coast and oilier districts tj : in n.. ( ling Ids uUcnipl wi'.li the stroug--1 | ,-si oppo-ii ion wlfieb they are able to « j oii'or ii. And they have strong reason * j for iheir opjiosition. The plain niean--1 I iug of the new forestry polity is that 8 I it.-, riiieal future timber needs

■■ ■ i" *■■ •** . of coming: pciicrtuinn--. are held to juslify the ext inetion. in a great part, cl a viiluabli' cstnbli'.hul industry that is ism olid in importance in the amount ol labour employed, and capital invested, to one other alone on the West Coast, and is. in oilier respects, perhaps the iiiu-l important of all from a local standnoiul. This might even he .instilled— for the more genera! interest igreater importai.ee, than the more haul— if it could he demonstrated that Miih a curtailment of one. of our two or three vital industries were going to achieve the object, aimed at. or even were going to prove the most probable method of gaining that object. Hot that cannot he said of it. On tho contrary, the best authorities are quite the other way. The forestry policy aims at preserving the existing species of timber, and to gain that end. aims at prohibiting exportation. Scenic R.*- • ervatinns, have of course, no hearing on the fillin':' timber supply. Expert knowledge goes to show that the native timbers, from an economic standpoint, llnv.ugli their 'low growth, are inferior to other species. At any rale, before il oiding on so imporianf a. question, the duty of tin- Minister is to to-l the uuesiion by a series of experiments, lie eannoi claim I bat the opposition to him is unreasonable until lie does 'xperiont and thus decide the point. The Minister has agreed to modify the while pirn:' embargo in order nut t" hinder settlement, but the red pine lauds are being settled as they are •leai".'.!. despite wliat may he said lignins! their fertility. Moreover, nearly till' whole West Coast is forest, risuuirv yet. Cutting ai the present rate will nut exhaust its timber for well over a century. ’To prohibit export means rendering J’l per cent <1 ll"' local cut put u-"!o*s as it i- "lily saleable in Australia. The cfu.t of the prohibition i- going to menu reducing quickly the local output by .71 per i enl. This means p loss to tin- country of £1.7).i: i>. Every miller i* a", exporter, so (Inn every miller nil! lose. No other (li.striet is so dependent upon the Amtralian trade, which tbi- locality has done much to develop. Other dislri I have a good lo: a! market, reached by rail War . The new restrict ions. In he fair in tliomsclvc: . sh ■•ml take im.> i. i.psideration the piuportion a distri't oxpoit- abroad when ilium 4 mg till cm-hill-go oil tile PC Lilllli'. I I' -ci ’. . H site!i i.- fair with the pres'-nt reservation, m hat would render it olherwi-e under the pew rule for new areas. Fv.n when- lour year: ago Au-trulian price.- v.vri low. tin’ Wort Cued bad to impend on that market, ami would have si uri id.o to oi"').. v. ithoin i'. '! he ip.vmillers would support the Mimtor in pbn.ling limb:"' giving a hi .ml quicker return t• repine:' ores', „t bush' ill area.' unsuitable for sotlie.eo,.t . To wait till all voting >r. vo rer.di IK tori' v i' linam-!.'!!.' a Mi"idal „ofi, v, "s untie e limbers do not ftrow on- sixth as quirk!**' a- ether kinds of Emberilia; •ould be planted. Ahum t•siniiie: i’oresi , at c; an a- re le.ug ,*iv:ii)'h i-r nntiv** trees to mature in-ans. a big lc-s. h ah- menus in--rersiic: i.ric-s of timber to the pule lie Another mm t import nut aspect of 1 1,.. (•Si* j< ih-t of ! lhaiir. What the inaiiv liluulroi!< of worker** '" <t" if half the mills clcse or if sieff- are p,| l.v half Th-j-e are Imre !>«> watevsidor'. who will al-'O he r>lit'*-ted. T’tif* danger is a. verv real one. The Mini-ter snvs it is nil a matter el ir-de risk, but what the cat.-v.ory risk money may i’leitid*:: frnm the T";ijster's point uf view would be ns in(crest iug os it doubtless would be surprising to know. The V. est toast mu- i 111 ii t oil ly agitate to remove the memo e which these drastic regulations menu l ' it. AX INDUSTRY MENACED.

ft;rev River Argil-, July Und. JOUVi A, lep'irted in another eolnmn. the ( ommi-sioner of Forest'. Fib I rauiis IXIIon Bell. at. Hokitika, lormulated a startling dovii e to hamper our -ecoiul must importnu;. industry. This is. nothing less than a statement that every sawmiller wors'.imr ( rovn Land, ." - s"(.ii as Ids present sawmill license is exhausted, which may be 'in three months or three year-, will be granted a new sawmill license, only on the < ndition that no timber shall he exported beyond Xew Zealand. This is tho bald statement put, forward, as th- oulicy of tlie (mvernmeni : but it was subsequently qualified by tho admission that ti:e miller would he allowed to export any surnlus 0.8. rimu. and flint special consideration would be given to tho export of while pine. The exact trend of the propo-al is not \ icrtV'ily clear, but it. may apparently lead to praeiical coulisenlion. Tim astounding feature in the Ministers attitude was that he appears to realise fully, the effect which his proposals will have. The Minister is nothing, if not candid, and when the injustice of his intended action was pointed out. he replied that if a sawmiller was depending on the export trade, and found Tiis trade possibly cut in half by the abolition of his export, it was an ordinary business ri-k. and that no svmpathy need be looked tor front him' (the Minister). As Oo per cent, of tho savmillors here are depending on the export trade in conjunction with their Dominion business the interests of both employer and worker from end to end of the Coast are in serious danger. The Minister appears to bo wedded to a tad. uhicu he is prepared to carry out. with all the vockiossne-s of the true fanatic, regardless of injury which he may cause. The only remedy is a strong publie agitation, and in the Press and among members of the Legislature to secure the withdrawal of such a wildcat proposal.

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY. (Hrcvmouth “Star.” July ‘2nd.. 1010». Two 'Ministers of the Crown have evidently in ado up their minds to wipe our the I\ ost Coast timber industry. The Hon AY. FT. Herrins. Minister of Railways, has decreed that durinp; the present curtailment of the train services no timber must he carried m the rail wavs. Tins 1 - had era.n-.di m a’J truth, but the Hon Sir Francis lullon Bell intends cuing cue hotter than his colleague. His decision that in future New Zealand limber must h,o retained for use in the Dominion practically means the ruin of the timber industry ns far as the Const i? con-

cerned. In the years gone by the sawmillers in Southland, Marlborough and other parts wore allowed to eut the timber n,s they saw fit. They did simply as they pleased, and the consequence is that the timber areas in those districts have been worked out. Jt is only within comparatively recent years that the timber industry has been developed on the Coast, and it may bo said at once that no man who hni dabbled in timber has made a fortune out of it—several have lost all they pnssessed. At one time the millers had to face a period of great industrial unrest, and the various strikes that have taken place in the coal mining industry had a depressing effect on tho work in the timber mills. Then came the slump in the timber trade when the industry on the Coast reached almost the verge of ruin. The Co vernment did nothing to assist, and if it had not been for private individuals coming to the rescue all those who have put their savings into timber companies would have suffered n financial collapse. The war period naturally brought- increased anxiety to the millers, but they looked forward hopefully to the conclusion of the war and a time of peace and prosperity. At great pains they built up a considerable export trade with Australia. New mills were erected, tram-lines constructed, and considerable capital expended. All this was done in prospect of the good time toming. They had. however, reckoned wihout their host, v.lio on the occasion was the Minister in Charge of Forests. The lion, gentleman tie sires that the forests on the A\e-I Coast bo kept for posterity. All export, with the exception of sorond-cJuSs timber, must cease. If Sir .I'ratteis vets his wav, the tourist of next cen tiiry will be able to view the native bush in all its luxuriance, and the local guide will be able to point mu suits where the once prosperous towns (,i (Irevniouth. Hokitika, etc., once -tood. The salvation of the millers lies in the fact that a general election will take place in a few months, and the National Government may not be returned to office. In that case Xew Zealand may obtain a Minister m ('barge of Forestry who is not quite so unreasonable. THE BLOW FALLS.

1 Hokitika “iluardian.” July 2m1.) In referring i" the cited of the Forestry legislation upon this distent in previous issue-, we have hazarded the opinion that. Westland wa- menaced bv a verv serious disaster it the polity put forward were carried out as had 1.. outlined by the Hon Minister in Charge ui the Department. t-ir I'taocis Roll appeared here in person, and his candour in expressing his views on the subie. I left no doubt tlmf our estimate aval measure of the position was all too true. It was very good ol tin, Minister, busy man as he must be. to come down hero and meet the local bodies and representatives of the millers. to discuss the situation. 'Hie Minister, however, came with his mind made up, and a fixed resolve not to rend'.* in any respect on the so-called •‘settled policy.” The interview extended over four hours, and the Aliu-i.-tcr while not always suaviter in mode, was certainly former in r<*. or in the strong expression of purpose thereto. I),, wa-. at times inclined to be irascible, and was cerl-'inly sarcastic on occasj,which are manners not usually found with Ministers unless provoked in that, direction. lint withal. Fir Francis was candid, and it was in the linal expression of his candour that too blow fell, and the folk present realised where the sawmilling industry was to I lie mind and policy of the Minister in Charge of the controlling Department. ,\s affecting the local bodies’ claims f.'.r past and present revenue and lor future eniisidernlion, the Minister s remark'. were of a lavourahle nature, though not of that, generous nature which might have been extended umlei a. 1 f the circumstances. In regard to the future of the sawmiiling industry, i' is nut to.) much to say that >Sir Iran,is Bell’s forecast of the |" b v h ' won id direct, created dismay among I Pose present. Noiw illistanding the ... aI; b* and 1 lea.r way v. il H which the vi*ri'ius aspects of the industry were put |,efore the .Minister, its effect on Lit-, nr and tin’ general advancement ol the di.-tri'T. Sir Fratec na* mU u: any way inllueuced. lie gave, in t'ep!* , a : "!il. uu-ympath.etic ausner. winch indicated that he was prepared to -ci ril'ice the industry for the heuelit hi- pet theories, while the fortunes (I f the enterprising miller, the tulur*' ol the trade, and all that wa bottuo up with it, could go hang, so far as Frau* i* was com erned - in la-t he w,mld welcome from hi-, point of view , j,,. ,he i;,g down of the sawmill - : it v .odd be a icy to him to •ee this era h in ill vf-t•-*I capital now providin' a 1.. -on", <..■ii *; i ■,:! i 1 *.-. and useiul I; 1 - L,.,ir, i-iiiih* to pa-". It was a mo-.t 11-:: 1 (lieary lii net i.*n. and 1 in* <an l"it marvel that this simnld hr th" •jtoli-'-v cl a (iovernmeut whieli is rail* *! ‘‘nai ional.” The Minister Plainly .sta!*’d he was going to stop export, a eourse ci „ lion which uamld assist in pnralys;i:or ill,* industry; he was going 10 republic tin* cutting of timber in u-. h a wav that admittedly lifiy per <enb less value would be got out of the forests. All ihh; notwithstanding that millers had installed expensive plants on wDni„., Ii- «... ulli-ll were paw t" C" linu,io ,1- t!,o T-dn -uy Departniciit. wt.i.Oi the power to make wimt eotuli--1 ;i liked. Tin re was 110 appeal Ir.nn the Minister's position, wlio he--011110 an autoernl. and without intendic.* to sav anvthing oliensive, 1-t ns e’i:'r:n:ii he the I'aec that judging by li'n il, mean,mr. Sir Francis Hell will play the part to the eompleti' sati.-faciton ol himself. The po-itiim from a demo- <■ nttin j oint cl view is iuteu'ralJe. and w ill not be submitted in. Ihe position i- extraordinary in the exirellie and will |e:,d to :> r-vnlt in publie opinion on t!„. question of gov: rument, by regubitiin.

THE EXPORT PROHIBITION. (Il'kitika “Cnni'di:m.” July “2nd..) The series of motions adopted a! the Ci.nlVt'etife regarding Forestry legislation. covered a broad review of the jv.siti .11 affecting the Coast. The mo--11•!ii on export- principled i> worthy of reference, because that is the (]•!>>, oi' traHo t!io Minister is ont to veto. Four good reasons arc given for luaintaiuing an export trade, which jn point of fa,-r. is the safety valve to the endurance < f tin- industry. This is a time when financiers, hankers and cmnliiereinl men generally, are railing "tit dailv for more and move production and specially that there should b- a surplns of commodities for cxporl to bring urgentlv required wealth into the country. It’, is this outside money which has kept Ihe Dominion going and pvo'peving during the war period. \A ithout it. funds for trading would have to bo proi’ided by the* lianks. and tne hunkers have made it plan that ii that .-train had come fltere would have been a serious slump in New Zealand. Ihe war is over now. and though the Imperial authorities are taking certain commodities for a time, and so keeping good the financial position, tlie oro-n-inir situation would be the stronger, the larger are our aggregate exports. If tho Australian trade is lost n-w by the prnhibtioii proposed it i- m t likely jo I--, recovered, for Australia will seek tor and obtain her supplies elsewhere. Further. Australia can institute reprisals. which will have a serious effect on conditions here, both in regard to coal and hardwoods. Disaster is likely t” fall in more wavs than one. and if the Forestry Minister has not gauged the iio-itii.ni in all its ramifications we hop" the other members of tho Cabinet wo* be blind to the critical condition of affairs win It will eventuate when the full measure of Sir Francis Bell’.- policy cuines to he realised by the Commonwealth.