IDLE MILLS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1931, Page 7

IDLE MILLS

TIMBER INDUSTRY’S PLIGHT.

RUSSIAN COMPETITION ? INQUIRIES FROM AGENTS. J Efforts to interest Auckland merchants in Russian timber have been made by agents of the Soviet Government in recent weeks. The timber, known as keddar, is stated to be suit able for joinery work and the making of boxes. Should trade- with Russia in this connection be established th o New Zealand timber industry will be further removed from the possibilities of recovery, for already foreign importations have encroached seriously upon its trade. The secretary of the Auckland Tb"’Workers’ Union, Mr E. J. Phelan, stated that he had actual proof of one merchant having been offered supplies of Russian timber by letter from an agent of ■the Soviet Government. Probably similar letters had been received by other merchants. He had no doubt that the . patriotism of some people would be such that they would deal with Russia il , they could. A whole- shipment of Russian timber had been landed in Australia, although it was proposed at first to allow only one-half of the consignment to go into the country. Mr Phelan said the timber industry in New Zealand was experiencing a trying time as it was, without the possibility of further foreign, competition. -j\ united effort should be made now by all parties concerned to force the- hand of the Government to take a more serious view of the -situation. The Government had certainly raised the- duty on certain foreign timbers, and its action would have had some effect in normal times. Royalties and other concessions given the overseas exporter and mass production, however, enabled foreign timber to compete more than favourably with local supplies.

FOREIGN BUTTER BONE'S. Indications that the employers are equally as anxious as the employees that the Government should do something to meet the situation are given by replies which Mr Phelan has received to a circular suggesting a combined deputation to the Government. “I suggest that the Government be urged to make 'it compulsory to use New Zealand made butter boxes,” writes a Helensville sawmiller. “It has practically done so with fruit cases. New Zealand sawmillers did, perhaps, treat the butter factories unfairly in war time, but, perhaps, some safeguards could now be given them. The Dargaville and Ruawai butter factories are using 130,000 butter, boxes The manufacture of that number of boxes would employ 40 men for twothirds of the year. The factories 1 mention have a mill and timber in the district, and yet they are importing boxes from Sweden. There are probably other districts in the same position. iA representative of a large Rotorua timber company said it was deplorable to see all the railway sidings, round Ro f orua full of empty + " their timber mills standing idle and the yards full, of timber, while foreign timber was being distributed from the seaports by motor lorry.

CONSUMPTION 1 ALMOST 'NIL. The secretary of the Dominion Federated Sawmillers’ Association, Mr A. Seed, doubted the wisdom or effectiveness of organising a deputation to the Government unless the deputation was armed with constructive proposals. He was quite convinced that further Customs protection, even to the extent of the virtual prohibition of imports, would not alone effect any great improvement. Actually the timber, imports for the current period had dwindled to such an extent that even the Dominion s small current exports exceed them. The greatest factor causing depression in the industry was the almost total lack of timber consumption, due virtually to the cessation of all building operations. His own conviction was tfp+ the expansion of land settlement would do more to revive the industry than any other single factor.

HEADACHE CHAMP. LOSSES JOB. Mr Theodore Roberts has lost a job wonh £lO a month with board and lodging and washing thrown in, all because a headache he had when he started three months ago has vanished. Doctors at the University of Illinois (Research ‘Hospital are seeking a cure for migrane and its accompanying headaches, and advertised for a man with a champion headache. Roberts was selected. After three months in the hospital under observation, Roberts’ headache disappeared. It was not due to migrane, and the doctors have now to start their experiments all over again. Proper diet, regular sleep and exercise while he was in hospital cured ■Roberts’ headache, it was decided, and his easy job of doing nothing but remain under the care of doctors has therefore come to an end.