TIMBER PRICES

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1923, Page 4

TIMBER PRICES

Tid I*. GENERAL* t)P 1 I.Oi >K. Mr A. Seed, secietary of the New '/. *:il: ml S.iiwmdlers’ Federation. in-l’(ii*Ji:i-el a “New Zealand Times” iep*(:rter mi Wednesday that a rise in I'ii'cs of dicssing heart matai had ju-t 'ceil made at a meeting of millers oil the Main Ti link and Rotr.rua lines. This step (lie explained) was taken not to secure increased prices to the product. lull purely for the purpose of inducing builders and architects to accept heart riniu. which makes an equally good job for flooring or weather hoarding instead of heart of matai as it has become tile custom to specify. Thc:e is simply not the quantity of heart matai available at the mills to supply the present demand, and if builders and architect:- "ill specify for ib-oring, and weather boarding, an alternative of lionrl matai or heart limit it may he possible to leeonsider the position a little later on.

.Ur Seed Mated that while up north lie loiiiul :d! tlic North Island mills filliy occupied with orders in hand, and that tli.' general outlook lor the timher industry at the pre-ent time is excivdiiigly bright. "'I lie i nly part of Xew Zealand where is complete recovery in the timher industry lias not been made from the loeeiit slump is on the West ('oast where the mills are still working at about' hall tlieir normal capacity. This is largely due to slackness of the timber trade in Australia, where inferior foreign- timbers have displaced mir lower grade rimu and white pine for bexmakiug and similar purposes. Jt is clearly evident that this state of things is largely attributable to the timher export restrictions imposed by the New Zealand Government, for the Australian users nave been forced to seek other sources from which they can count noon continuity of supply. •‘The slackness cf trade cm the West Corst is also alfe* ted to some extent by the public of Canterbury holding back from building operations in anticipation that with the advent of railborne timber through Otira tunnel there my be a reduction in pi ices. Their hopes in this direction are hardly likely to be fulfilled, for to secure timber diieet lrom the mills for building means that it must be dry. and for the Canterbury purposes it is impossible to dry timber on the U rst Coast where the conditions are so wet and humid. Consequently, although there may be ' some disorganisation of the trade at the commencement, it will ultimately be found that the West Const timber will require to go through the present channels, and be dried in the timher merchants' yards in Christchurch before it is in a tit state to use in dwellings. ''None of the West Coast millers are equipepd with the necessary drying, kilns, planing machines, and yard facilities to deal direct with the builder or tile user,” said Mr Seed. “If ties© tilings have to be provided by the miller to meet the trade, the cost cf production will rise proportionately, and the user wall find by that time that the timber will have cost him as much as if lie had got it. from the merchant. There is also a mistaken idea abroad that the cost of timber is responsible for tile recent prices of building: but wiion it is realised tnat the actual cost of timber in a modern dwelling only constitutes approximately one-filth ot tlm total cost, it would take a considerable drop in the price of timber to accomplish a material saving in the cost of the house.”