The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1929. THE TIMBER TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1929. THE TIMBER TRADE.

A North isiand timber miller, Mr G. A. Uanunan, well-known in the north, has been discussing the position of the timber industry in New Zealand with the Auckland “Star.” His remarks go to show that the industry has been subjected to many handicaps, and he has complaints against the Governments, past and present, both in relation to departmental administration and high railway freights, which contracted with the concessions to farmers, show how hardly the industry lias been treated. Mr Gamman fixes a good deal of the blame for the stagnation of the industry upon the State Forest Service. He points out that liefore the Service took over control of Crown Lands, timbers, the sawmilling industry was in a fairly flourishing state. He complained about the loss of the Australian market through the initial action of the Forestry Department. One of its first measures was to restrict New Zealand timber being exported to Australia. Thereby a profitable trade was lost. Australia bad to look elsewhere for supplies, and these are drawn from the Baltic and America instead of New Zealand. Then the State royalties were forced up, the increase ranging from Is per ICOft. tip to 3s fid and even higher, while a protection of 2s per 100 ft. was imposed 011 imported timbers, railway freights were advanced in New Zealand which equalled about 2s per 100 ft. rise. These factors opened the dobr for foreign timbers and since they have been bmded at the main ports at prices cheaper than the New Zealand mills can supply. The result has been a very serious set back to the timber industry as a whole. It was pointed out that sawmilling companies’ shares were at a very low value, and consequently they do not offer much attraction for surplus capital to invest in. Mr Gamman commented severely when he said, “the State appears to have peculiar methods of carrying out its policy, and the result is often disastrous.” He further pointed out that to induce private people to plant trees it was necessary to keep the industry in such a position that the profits on Umber would he sufficient to induce private enterprise to grow trees for ‘uture timber supplies and give a pros pective profit. The planting of trees, preservation of timber, and building up of a permanent timber industry is, or should be, the policy of the State Forest Service, and to enable this to be done, Mr Gamman points out, largo areas will have to he planted, not • ally by the State hut also private companies. The inference from these views, is that the service should be doing more to encourage the industry to ensure tree-planting being taken up profitably. Mr Gamman replied also to opposition from the farmers against the protective tariff on timber, and contrasted the concessions given by the railway to farm produce and requirements, as against the charges for railage of timber. The importance of the timber industry is indicated by the fact that about eighty per cent, of the cost of production of limber goes in wages, and lie slyly remarks that the excessive railage paid helps to fill .up the loss made on the carriage of farmers’ produce and other cheap freights. The plea put forward indicates that the timber industry, is a vital factor' in Dominion, prosperity, and it should be the subject of greater consideration at the hands of the powers that be. The sawmillers have an undoubted complaint against the past Government. One of the earliest Ministers in charge of Forestry consigned the industry to perdition, so earnest was he to see it destroyed. He helped by his ’administration greatly towards that goal and the country is paying for tile reckless administration in the serious position sawmilling is to-day, and the great handicap it has to face in outside competition.