N.Z. TIMBER TRADE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1925, Page 1

N.Z. TIMBER TRADE

LARGE IMPORTATIONS CAUSE CONCERN. AUCKLAND, Nov. 11.

The. effect the importation of foreign timbers into New Zealand is having is tho subject of an interview of a large by the managing director of a large firm of timber merchants.

Ho stated that the importation of foreign timber was causing New Zealand millers considerable concern. Merchants doing business in port towns had particularly felt the effect of the importations of Canadian cedar and American Oregon pine. One complaint of the timber millers was that local bodies raised no objection to cedar and other foreign timber being used for weather-hoarding, flooring and other purposes, irrespective of their quality. No steps were taken to ascertain whether these timbers were suitable for the purpose, or whether they were as good as New Zealand 0.8. quality. Owing to the tendency of importers to buy as cheaply as possible. some very inferior grades wen coming into the country, and there was no restriction as to their use. Continuing;, the merchant said that a great deal of los s was suffered by people in the timber business through the irregularity of markets for second grade timber. That was largely due to local body restrictions, and the consequence had been that foreign timbers had been displacing local timbers of lower grades. With a good and regular market for all classes of local timber, a JO per cent, increase in output could he obtained, and the forests of New Zealand would last ten years longer than if the demand remained restricted to heart and best quality timbers alone. Importations of timber during the last three years and nine months into New Zealand, including laths, palings, posts, shingles, and sleepers, were:

These figures illustrated how importations were seriously affecting trade in New Zealand timber, and how recessarv it was an opportunity should he given to New Zealand timlxM’-own-ers to market the whole or the timber in the forests they worked instead of destroying JO per cent, at present unsaleable.

The wages factor was another consideration that required attention. Statistics revealed that American labourers in the timber industry worked an average, of 51.8 hours a week, and earned an average of £2 7s 3d. In tho southern States the hours worked were as high as sixty, and the wages were £2 17s fid a week. Of those employed 15 per (‘out. were- Asiatics. In Canada the hours worked by lumbermen varied from forty-eight to fifty-five a week, and tho average wage paid was £3 Ms fid. Of those employed, 2fi per cool were Asiatics. The average wages paid in Sweden worked out at £2 8s for a forty-eight hour week. The timber industry in New Zealand was the largest employer of labour, no fewer than 9135 men being engaged in its various departments. AVages paid to-p-died C 2.0-58.774 last year. The New Zealand timber worker was paid 18s a day of eight hours. Data obtained from America abo showed that a good quantity of American timber was sold at less than cost. Profits on mills depended oil the yield in the upper grades. The export trade created a. demand for lower grades which were not (erinitted to disturb the home marker for upper grades, New Zealand. therefore was performing a real service to America by absorbing niinli of its lower grade timbers at the expense of locally grown material. The total amount spent by New Zealand on imported timbers, including freight, last year equalled £1,315.703. During the same period the quantity of timber produced in New Zealand totalled 317.009.210 sup. feet, of a total value of £3.182.999.

A curious anomaly operating against New Zealand millers was to he found in the freight charges. It cost the same amount, about Os per 100 feet, to rail timber from the King Country to Wellington or Auckland n« it did to freight timber from Europe. America or Australia. Current freights on timber per 100 super feet were as follows:--Baltic ports to New Zealand. 5s 3td. 11,.538 miles; Pacific ports to Nek Zealand 5s 9d. 5081 miles; Groymoulli to Wellington. ss, 273 miles; Ohakune to Wellington 5s 9d. 202 miles. Freight on timber from the King Country to Auckland and from Australia to Auckland was the same. 0s per 100 super, feet.

Afore adequate protection was needed for llie New Zealand timber industry. It would ho a benefit to the country as a whole, and would tend to effect true conservation and higher utilisation of the remainder of the country’s immensely valuable indigenous forests.

1922 Snp. feet. 32.757,755 Value £ 507,620 1023 •11.682,937 032,856 1921 07.988,020 1,014,475 1025 mon (nine ths) ... 52,1.14,015 733,090