THE SAWMILLERS' COMBINATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 77, 27 May 1879, Page 2

THE SAWMILLERS' COMBINATION.

* The present position of the timber trade, which is one of our most important industries, forcibly brings to mind, when we remember events which occurred a year ago, the Scriptural injunction, " Put not your trust in Princes, nor in any of the children of men." It will be remembered that last June ft celebrated

moe ; iuij of those mi eresced in the tint* bey trade was held at Feilding. Its chief object was *o endeavour to obtain a reduction on ihe carriage of white pine timber, and other allowances ; and an able memorandum, of the hardships the uawmillers laboured under was drawn up by Mr Halcombo. As the matter was one in whiclx the whole County was interested, evory asgistance was given to tho movement, and a meeting was held at Foxton to bring the pressure of pub ie opinion to bear upon the Government, in order" to gaia the end desired. But the very day the meeting was held at Feilding. to ask for a reduc ion upon the carriage of white pino, thG sawmillers of Upper Manawatu issued a circular intimating that in future the timber \vould be one shilling per hundred feet dearer. This was before the reduction in the carriage was agreed to. Mr Gross, a Wanganui timber merchant, was also by invitation at the feilding meeting, and a general agreement between the timber merchants ox 1 . Wanganui and the sawmillers tff Manawatu was arrived at — to the effect that they would t ike all timber cut, but they were to have it at a large reduction on »he price to the public. This little arrangement was delightful. It cttfe poor Foxton off from the trade, and filled the pockets of all concerned, and the promoter of the timber meeting wae looked upon as a most successful man. But a change has occurred I now. Wanganui is importing timber by sea, as it can be obtained cheaper from the Sound, and the Manawatu Sawmillers, under these circumstances, are compelled to sell cheaper or be left out in the cold. The old proverb of " honor amongst friends " is broken. There will surely need to be another meeting to rectify all this. As the whole County is deeply interested in the success and development of the timber trade, we would like to throw out a few friendly suggestions to the millers : Conduct your business, as other business men do ; work on your own account ; avoid combinations, as they must sometime or other fall through, and are generally suggested by those only who will benefit most by them. Where there is not an unlimited demand, the oldest firms have as a rule the best connections, which they can hold at a very large profit to themselves, and if they can induce new firms to agree to sell no cheaper than they do, they thus place business competition at a standstill. The consequence is that with yards filled with timber, the late starters must either burst from the associa^ tion, or burst up.