COST OF BUILDING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1049, 13 August 1930, Page 13

COST OF BUILDING

INCREASE WHERE IMPORTED TIMBER USED JOINERY MAY ADVANCE While New Zealand rimu sawmillers are expected to benefit eventually by the proposed new Customs tariff rates on timber, the opinion is held by Auckland merchants that the cost of building, particularly of houses in which imported woods are used, will be forced up It is also anticipated that the cost of joinery in Auckland may have to be increased. A definite assurance was obtained that kauri timber prices would not be advanced. Two prominent merchants, with whom a Sun representative discussed the proposed rates, were surprised that no reference was made in the tariff concerning any preference on Canadian timbers imported into the LAjminion. The delegation of Canadian lumbermen which had visited the .Dominion recently, liad informed them, and also members of the Chamber of Commerce here, that a promise from the Government of preferential treatment of Canadian woods would be given. .Nothing, however, had been done in this direction, either in the .July revision or the present proposed rates. “Yet we expect Canada to give preference to our butter," added one merchant. The increase of from 5s 6d to 7s Gd on balk timber in the rough sawn class was mentioned, it being pointed out that the Government had given no definition of the description or dimensions of the timber, which would come within this category. The importation of this class of wood not only provided a good deal of labour, but also sizes which were not procurable in New Zealand, except at excessive cost. It was pointed out that at Wellington the other day the New Zealand Timber Merchants’ Federation had passed a resolution urging the Government to retain the present rate of. 5s 6d on largo sizes, and to increase the charges on smaller stuff. FLAT RATE This class of timber came in under a fiat rate of 2s before J 927. And then the Tariff Commission recommended that the duty on larger sizes should be left at this figure, but that the rate on that of smaller dimensions should be increased to 4s. The Government, however, increased the rates respectively to 3s and ss. A commission in 1929 then proposed to eliminate the rate on large timber, and fix a sliding scale for the smaller sizes. However, both these commissions, which had been very costly to the country, had been ignored. The timbermen held the opinion that if it was necessary to have a difference of 2s when the rates were low, surely it was essential that the difference should be more when the duty reached 9s 6d. The merchants were of opinion that the policy was not sound. COST OF JOINERY The proposed scale of duties may affect the price of joinery, according to the merchants. It was stated that many joinery factories in Auckland had been using a goud deal of imported timber, and what was going to replace these woods was not known at the moment. Again, the Auckland building by-laws were so rigid in regard to the use of heart timber that it was possible this, combined with the higher duties, would increase the cost of joinery. . , , . “The new tariff will certainly help the rimu sawmillers, but when that effect will be felt cannot be indicated, as the market is so depressed at the present time," one merchant stated. No objection was advanced by the merchants to the increased duty or. sawn dressed timber, or on laths and shingles, which was simply for revenue. -