The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1925. IMPORTED TIMBER.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1925. IMPORTED TIMBER.

Tub condition of the timber trade is nl tlir greatest imjiorumci' to ihe WceL Const where so in noli ol tlit' general prosperity ot' tlio place depends on tile well maintained productivity ol’ tile industry. The volume of imported timbers is becoming a serious lliemue to the milling business. threatening the scope of employment and effecting the value ol the output with a corresponding decrease in the outlay for the maintenance of the trade will' ll should he. (lowing this way. The position has boon strikingly reviewed in the .North. Island, and its the subject is of greater importance even to the South Island there is no excuse necessary for referring at some length to the views put forward at Auckland: --“Tin.,re ist every possibility that if the importation of foreign timber to this country goes mi the mills here will have liy work short time,” said a well-known, timber man to an ‘‘Auckland Star” reporter recently. ‘‘As a matter of fact,, the question has already been discussed. and it has been suggested that if some redress is not forthcoming, then the mills will have to close down mi two days a week at least. There is no doubt, whatever that the milling industry in this country is in a most precarious condition." lie continued, “ltecotit figures with reference to the importations of timber given hv Air A It. Kntriean. of the State Forest Service. were to the effect that the total increase between 1921 and ]!(2o was approximately 11 .(VIO.OOO superficial feet. During the latter period the> huge amount of 02.('00,f0f) feet was imported to the Dominion. Now T ask you. can the New Zealand millers stand tip to that when the Government places so many restrictions on our own timber? Take cedar timber, which is coming into this country by millions lof feet, hast year close on 0.000.110 n feet of this timber was imported. It has hoen stated that cedar is a very durable timber, and it is being used a great deal in place, of matai for wea-ther-hoarding. You can take it from me that we are only getting the class of cedar which the people iri Canada will not use. In order to prevent the impression that ] might he interested in the local article, 1 can tell you that T have sold my output of locally Srown timber for twelve months ahead. So far as importations ; concerned, therefore. T am not int

ostO'l other than to voice the opinion that the cedar which is coniine into this country is not in the same class as one own production. Von can take it from me that the man who uses cedar weather-boarding in his house to-dav is look i 112 for future trouble Come out with me and T will show you "hat I mean.” Tn the yard at the hack of the mill in the city there was a pile of the imported timber. Tt had hoon stacked there before euttiny for weather-boarding. Lengths of from ton to twelve feet by an inch and a half thick were in the yard. Taking many pieces at random, it was to be observed that most of the timber was still fall of sap. A penknife could he put into it without any trouble, and some of the hoards were so soft that the wood could he picked out with the finger-nails. “That is the stuff which is being imported to make ■weatherhoarding,” the millowner declared. “To my mind mind it is no good at all. and yet v.-e are not allowed to use our own timber for the same purpose unless it is heart stuff. What the Go-

vernment is thinking about ] don’t know. It beats me. There are millions of feet of better timber lying about the mill yards in the Dominion that can’t be used simply because of the regulations against it. And yet this cedar stuff is allowed to come into this country duty free. Mere i- another point 1 would line to make clear. Wo are not allowed to export our surplus stocks of locally grown timber, despite the fact that it is much better than the imported article which is allowed to lie put into houses without any restriction whatever. The position is absurd, to say the least." “My 1 riend is perfectly right," said another millowuer who was with the

• arty. “I noticed in it newspaper article that fur every 100 feet of timber imported into this country a day’s wages was lost to the mill worker. That, statement is a fact. Not only doc- this imported timber do men out of their jobs, hut the Government is losing much revenue which they would otherwise get. Impute! cc.-lnr could easily stand a duty of front three to five shillings per hundred foot. Even then the importer- would lie making a heavy profit. I know what I am talking about," be continued, “because I've been in the game. Then again, these importations are causing the Railway Department to lose freight on our own timber, which cannot lie taken away from the mills l>oeauso there is mi sale for it. Therefore, to my mind, tile (oivei nemnt. is losing in three dis-

tinct ways through this importation of cedar. In the first place, the winking man is being deprived of wage which he would naturally spend in this couutrv. am! there is a cluin-o a

great elm nee-- of being out o, w two days a week; 4’eeoiidly. lb

vciuuicnt i- losing money by not imposing an import duty on cedar which comes into the Dominion and wbi could easily be displaced by our own ordinary building timber: Thirdly, the Government, through the Railway Department. is losing freight which they would otherwise gain on timber which they will not allow us to sell or export

neetiou I refer particularly to matai and rimu. In regard to the importation of n.tXXl.Otltl feel of cellar la-1 year. 1 would like to point out ilia: the workmen in the timber indm-i lost £50.1 KX) -aid a third member of the parly. “This country can't stand that sort of thing, and it looks •is if il is going In l-e worse. I hiqrt-

the Government will realise their responsibility in the matter and place an import dutv on all imported cedar and thu- give l lie local miller a chance.’' These enlightening views show tP

menace In the timber industry of New /.calami if the danger i- not grappled with quickly. A.- Minn a- the elections are out of I lie wav. the subjeei should I'e pressed upon the alleiilion ot the (iovernment without delay.