TIMBER COMMISSION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9438, 7 May 1909, Page 5

TIMBER COMMISSION.

Per Press Association. Auckland, May ,7. The Timber Uommission commenced its sittings in Auckland last evening. This morning R. Phelan, representing the Timber Workers' Union with 1800 members, said that the 68 mills in Auckland district produced over 212 million superficial feet of timber yearly. There were 2658' men employed in the mills exclusive of bushmen. He estimated the amount of standing timberlin|the district in millions superficial feet as follows: Kauri 875, rimu '993. kahikatea 642, totara 100, matai 810, miscellaneous 181 millions. Deducting the year's output be estimated the total was 4841 millions superficial feet, equal to about nineteen years supply. There was a slump in the industry but kauri was not affected. He did not believe it was possible to conserve kauri forests, as the land was mere valuable than the timber on it. An export duty on kauri would kill the country mills. Royalties and freight should be uniform throughout the Dominion. In, the Dominiotf m the past ten years the coat of milling timber had increased from 25 to Ss\ per centT* He believed in State sawmills and regulation. of the price of timber by a Parliamentary Committee.