The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1917. A SAWMILLING MARE’S NEST.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 November 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1917. A SAWMILLING MARE’S NEST.

With which is incorporated The Taihapo Post and Waimarino News).

A writer, in a contemporary, has been reaching out from Wanganui into and around the gawmilling backloeks of the Main Trunk regions, and, as he was lacking experience of such new surroundings, he discovered a mare’s nest literally full of addled ideas. Some mischievous people led him into seeing profiteering where it is very questionable indeed whether profiteering exists. We hold no brief for the Sawmillers’ Association nor have we consulted its members or officers even in the most casual way. It is a Main Trunk industry, and that is sufficient excuse to us for trying to rescue our Wanganui friend from the error of his ways, and for putting the sawmilling business in the light that most of the fairly-woll-informed public already see it. After reading what we are now commenting upon we could scarcely believe that the writer had read what he had written before his proof sheets were sent in; so full is it of contradictions that it consists of little else. To a casual reader, even, it is so sufficiently self-condemnatory as not to need a second thought except, perhaps, of regret. The theme of our friend’s discussion is that Main Trunk Sawmillers are taking profits that, compared with two or three years ago, are so excessive as to amount to unjust, dishonest, profiteering. We may say that in our hunt for profiteers, some time ago, we examined the sawmiller from what general knowledge we possessed; we thought discretion the better part of value so did not approach him personally. We "became quite satisfied and convinced that if the Sawmillers’ Association was not exploiting before the war it certainly was not doing so now. The cost of labour in pre-war days averaged about ten shillings, now it averages about fifteen shillings, more in isolated cases. The price of milling requisites now bears no analogy to pre-war prices. Even if building timber had gone up fifty per cent, averagely, the timber getters’ appliances and the increase in wages would quite warrant it, and then ho would not be loading for interest on his additional outlay, which he is quite entitled to do. We realise that trusts and combines are the curse of trade, but we also realise that it has become necessary for the existence of some busi-

nesses to associate so as to save themselves for extinction by huge, overpowering combinations of vultures. We regard trusts in trade and industry, and the aggregation of land as the , most damnable things in our producing and trading life, biJt we should look upon the individual who failed to avail himself of all the advantages the law offers and permits as nothing short of being a fool. It is mere beating thfe wind to discuss any question that vitally affects the progress of this country and the comfort of its people without at least, applying that modicum, of common sense and idea of justice nature has blessed us with. To ask the sawmillcr not to sell his timber in the market which offers the highest remuneration is positively silly; and it seems to us that no sane person would wittingly do so. When imported oregon pine was plentiful New Zealanders used it, and they did not care what happened to the getters and purveyors of our native rimu; it could be exported or be burnt if it could not be sold. The New Zealand sawmiller looked for a foreign market for his wares and found one. Now that. the flow of oregon from America is stopped people here are lamenting their erstwhile selfishness, and are calling upon the powers that be to prevent the outrageous - backblocks sawmiller from sending his timber away to markets he was forced into finding. Our timber users should have thought of that aspect of the ease when they turned down rimu for oregon pine. There "is not much worth in a patriotism that is only in evidence when it suits the pocket. We have said that the Wanganui writer’s screed is self-condemnatory, and, although it is obviously so, we may be excused for making our charge quite clear and justifiable. It is stated that a four-roomed wooden house, in Wanganui, costs up to £825, and a fiveroomed house up to £IOOO to build. It is as well the small cottage was selected because we know that there is little room for luxurious finishings to run away with a lot of money. The figures quoted average, in both cases, £2OO per room; we think this is a wilful exaggeration, but we would like our interested readers to note the £2OO per room postulate. Then it is said that a few years ago—that would bring it to just prior to the warsmall houses could be built at ; six shilHhgs per superficial foot of . floor space, that would average about £SO per room. This we also- think is an exaggeration, but it is the statement made by our Wanganui friend. It discloses a difference of £l5O per room in the cost, of building now as compared with a few years ago; and, we are told, that this enormous increase is largely due to the increased cost of i timber. 'Amazing to relate, however, in the nhkt paragraph we arc assured that the timber for a six roomed house, that admits of more elaboration in construction, only costs from £SO to £6O more for timber now than it did before the war. In other words, this- claims' that timber in the roonf which could be built before the : war for £SO, and now costs £2OO, has only increased in price by £8 to £lO, The room costs £l5O more while the timber only costs £8 more; where, w 7 o ask our Wanganui friend, has the other £l4O been absorbed. We think he had better get his “telepathic” man to figure this out, we cannot make the figures synchronise to convict the saw 7 - miller. They are undoubtedly capable of convicting somebody of absorbing from £IOO to 140 a room, but it is not the sawmiller. As we before stated, if the Main Trunk saw-millers w r crc not exploiting before the war, they are not exploiting now-, and the Wanganui w-riter has proved this contention right up to the hilt, and we are not sure that the Sawmillers’ Association ought not to make him a suitable acknowdedgment.