TIMBER COMMISSION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9450, 21 May 1909, Page 8

TIMBER COMMISSION.

Per Press Association

Wellington, May 30,

The Timber Commission began its Wellington sittings this afternoon. This morning several local mills and timber yards were inspected. Henry Brown, of Inglewood, Tara.naki sent a sworn affidavit, in which he stated that indirectly the admission of Oregon timber to Taranaki had been prejudicial to the local timber industry. Clem Knight, of the Dannevirke Timber Workers’ Union, said his Union wished to have the duty on Oregon pine considerably increased or the timber shot ont altogtaher. The mills in his district bad suffered severely and fifteen of them had shut down, or were working on greatly reduced time. They had each employed twenty hands at 10s per day, paying an average of £3OOO a mouth. Men who had been earning £ll a month were now earning £7 3s a mouth each, where they could get work on the Government roads at Piripiri. To Mr Field: It was recognised Shat the slackness was due to -the stringency of the money market, but Oregon pine did a great deal of harm. There wore over 300 men {mostly married) out of work, and there was general distress in his district due to the mills shutting down. To Mr Barber: There were not many mills working in the Dannevirke district. He had never thought about the matter of one class of workers being penalised by paying more dearly for their houses in consequence of high priced timber in order that another class of timber workers might benefit. Workers were always prepared to pay a fair thing. Mr Hanau: How do you know that Oregon has displaced rimu and snatai? What do you base that opinion on? Upon what I have gathered from the workers and upon what I have gathered from the papers. To J Mr ;Jennings: If the present conditions continued, sawmill hands must leave the Dannevjrke district, as there was nothing there for them to do. To Mr Clarke : If the importation of Oregon were stopped, the mills would resume working straight away. To Mr Arnold : He could not say whether the importation of Oregon had tended to keep down the price of timber here. Henry Smith, sawmill worker of Ekdtahuna, sold his mill. He was only employing two-thirds of the usual number of hands, owing to the shortness of orders caused by Oregon importations. Workers did not thick the slackness was due to the stringency of the money market. For 12 months past trade had fallen off considerably. Last month he only earned £5, and so far this month he had only eight days’ work. The timber industry was dying, principally owing to the competition of Oregon. To Me Field ; There were about a hundred men out of work in his district and their position was getting more terrible than he liked to

think abont. TBut for the present slump in prices there was enough timber in his district to keep the industry going for some years. To Mr Leyland ; The average yearly supply in Wellington was about fifty million feet, so that the importation of Oregon here was only 5 per cent, of the total. Mr Leyland said tkat had informed him that of Oregon sold, 75 per cent, went to replace kauri, ao that really the general market was not affected to the extent of 5 per cent. If Oregon could be imported it would permit of the export of kauri and for every £1 spent in purchasing Oregon they would get £3|baok for the exportation of kauri. Witness said that if he were a wharflabourer he would feel inclined to have a fire near some of the stacks of Oregon pine. THE WORKERS’ CASE. Taihape, May 31. A meeting of workers engaged in the sawmilling industry was held last night and discussed the question of how the Timber Commission would affect the industry. Strong comment was made on the large number of unemployed now seeking work in the district and the injurious effect on trade. Eventually it was decided to put the workers ease before the Commission by sending two delegates ito give evidence. They will reach Wellington to-day.