Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1881. TIMBER TRADE WITH MELBOURNE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 74, 17 May 1881, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1881. TIMBER TRADE WITH MELBOURNE.

The efforts made by the sawmillers to get the freight on white pine timber for shipment lowered, and the resolution of the County Council in support of the millers, have our heartiest Sympathy. Although the primary object of those settlers taking up bush land is to get the timber cleared from it as early as possible, it would be manifestly to their advantage, and to the advantage of the whole district, if instead of the timber being burned it could be turned into a ' marketable commodity. We recently ' mentioned that three thousand acres 1 of bush are at present being felled in irii-he Palmerston district, ready for j the to'ch next season. If the timl>er on it were valued at only £10 p«r acre, —a very low computation,— we may reckon that £30,000 as lost to the ' district}. , .'That we, have white pine in an almost unlimited quantity is admitted on all bands. The ques-

tious thei# arise, Can we obtain a ojarket for it? and Can we get the timber to it for a price that will return a profit to the producer? From the statements of one of the leading sawmillers iv the district ie appears that Victoria offers a market for enormous quantities of white pine timber. This gentleman states ■ hat recently he sent a trial cargo to Melbourne via Wauganui, the result being a slight loss, but that the reduction of the railway freight by say one shilling per hundred feet woul 1 have turned the loss into a profit. Practically speaking, therefore, the first question. Is there a niarke't'available ? may be answered in the affirmative. It may be safely assumed that not only in the South Island, but also in Victoria, New Zealand white pine will command a ready sale. Mut can it be delivered there at a price sufficiently low to secureapurchaser, and yet sufficiently high to return a profit to the producer? This is the question upon which the whole matter hinges. The only thing essential to secure the end referred to is, cheap freights both per railway to the port of shipment and per vessel to Melbourne. Tho co-t of hauling timber from Feilding to Foxtou is I s 8d per 100 loot, and to Wauganui -* 2d, irrespective of tho quality. Cousid"ring, therefore, tint whifeo pine is much lighter than eithoi riinu <v- totara, we think that in tho new ton-ill" the Government might reasonably make a fair allowance in favor of the last- mentioned class of timber, besides this, there is the broad ground that it is tho duty, as well as to the interest, of the Government to afford every fac lifcy to those industries likely to increase the amount of foreign copital brought into tho colony; and this would be to a degree we cannot now esbimato the result of tho creation of a trade in white pine with Victoria. If the Government give way in this matter, there would still he the ch:ap water-carriage to be provided for. Now, it is manifest that if small j crafts carrying only about GO.OOO foot arc employed to carry the timber, the tmde with 'Victoria must bo heavily handicapped. Any hoafc to be of service iv this trade must be capable of carrying at least 150,000 feet. Mr Halcombe referred to this phase of the timber question at the recent West Coast railway meeting at Feilding. He said — " He was sorry to see that there was not a single representative of the sawmilling interest present at the meeting, as they were I deeply interested in the movement. ! One of them told him a week or two 1 ago that he could have obtained ex j tensive orders at a good price in MclI bourne had he been enabled to get : the timber away. The vessels tiading to Foxton and Wanganui were too small for the timber trade, and if ■ it was sent to Wellington by sea the freight and extra handling would be 1 too expensive to leave a margin for ; profit." We quite agree with Mr ; Halcombe that the vessels trading to ; Foxton and Wanganui arc too small ; for the timber trade, but at the same I time we assert that it is quite possible i for vessels to enter the Mauawatu river which would be of sufficient carrying capacity to make the trade : successful. Not a single vessel suit- ! able for the timber trade enters this i poit. The one which struck us as J being best adapted for the trade was j the Martha Eeid, which, although only 75 tons, could stow away nearly 60,000 feet of timber ; and yet lier draught was only about G feet. Some years ago, cargoes of timber were constantly being sent from Hokitika to Melbourne, notwithstanding that that river was theu not nearly as good as the Manawatu now is. But like wise people the merchants of Hokitika recognised that they must have vessels specially adapted for their river. They therefore purchased several having great breadth of beam, light draught, and laige carrying cap-city, precisely the qualities necessary for the timber trade from Mauawatu. If vessels could make a pro fit by trading between Melbourne and Hokitika, which as a port was a by word thr"Ughout the colony, why should not vessels adapted for the tr ide ply between Manawatu or Wan ganui anil Melbourne ? Either river is ceitainly safe for navigation by vessels drawing as much as 8 feet, and if ships cannot be obtained capable of carrying 150,000 feet of timber, and yet drawing 7£ to 8 feet, then we can only say that we have ovei estimated the skill of British and colonial shipbuilders. How to obtain the vessels, is the next question. The onus of this must of course fall upon the millers. A joint stock company might be formed by them, they taking the bulk of the sh res, and the balance being offered to the public. In fact, so nearly does this matter concern Mauawatn, that we think the millers would be justified in ask ing every man who owned an acre of bush, as well as every man in business in the district, to take shares in the company. Two vessels might be purchased at first, each miller beiug entitled to contribute to the cargoes according to the exteut of his shaves iv the concern. As the trade developed, more boats could be obtained, adaptability to the trade being a sine qua non in each instance. If the above plan were carried out, aud we see no reason why it should nor be, we believe the timber trade of Manawatu, instead of being the fluctuating industry it has proved to j be during the last few years, would

become a large, steady, and growing trade, the channel by which vast sums of foreign capital would flow into this county ; in fact, to quote the words of the excellent resolu iou proposed i»y xYir Sanson at last meeting of the County Council, " A vast quantity of the raw material at present destroyed would b« turned into a marketable commodity, and a largo and profitable trade would be created with Victoria and other Australian Colonies, thus tending to promote the wealth and prosper. ty of this and other parts of the colony."