TIMBER WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1926, Page 2

TIMBER WAR.

A. PRICE-CUTTING -CAMPAIGN. Declaring that he is losing money heavily and is compelled to break into his capital, a Christchurch timber merchant informed a reporter on Thursda ymorning that the timber war which started at the beginning of June is still being continued relentlessly. The trouble, it was ascertained, was caused by a merchant outside the Timber Merchants’ Association making substantial cuts in his prices with the object of securing new business. The association retaliated, by revising its price list and making a reduction of 12.] per cent, on the principal lines of timber used in house-building. It was stated at the time that this would mean a drop in the cost of building a .stan-dard-sized bungalow by about £2o. Since thou the parties to the trade war have not succeeded in patching up their differences, and the price-cutting is stated to he causing some concern among a number of the firms. When the association revised its price list, many builders were of opinion that the new rates would not he continued for any length of time, and consequently house-building was given a fillip. However, builders and the public are still receiving the benefit of the lower prices, and there is no indication of the price war coming to an end in the immediate' future. The drop practically was confined to O.R. timber, flooring and weatherhoarding. The drop in 0.8. timber was 3s per 100 sup. feet, the rate of Sin. 0.8. having been reduced from 2os to 225. For dry-stripped unmilled timber, the price was altered from 40s to 3os fid. which represented a decrease of -Is fid.

A decline of 4s was made for T. and G. 6 x 1 flooring, the new price being 48s. For 4 x Jin. the drop was 44s 9d to 40s .and for 4 by J the decline represented 2s Od, the new price being 295. For weather-boards, bevel-back, tlie reduction was 3s. the standard size being quoted at 335. Other classes of timber were not affected .