SAWMILLERS PERTURBED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 180, 21 July 1908, Page 2

SAWMILLERS PERTURBED.

FEAR OF OREGON PINE IMPORTATION.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Monday.

Local sawniillers at the present time are considerably perturbed over the large importations of Oregon pine which have been made in the Dominion recently, and which appear to be on the increase. Last week a million feet of the American timber was landed at Auckland by the steamer Yeddo, and it is reported that similar quantities are now being landed at Napier, Wellington and other southern ports, with consequent injury to the local industry. The average cost of labor in producingi kauri planks is, roughly speaking, about 7s 6d per 100 feet, and the railage averages, probably, about 4s per 100 feet, so that the New Zeajaaa worker is losing about £3750, and the New Zealand railways about £2OOO, by the arrival of every cargo of a million,' feet, such as the Yeddo lias brought to Auckand.

I One of the leading local sawniillers; when interviewed on the situation, said the high price we have to pay for la-f bor is, to begin with, a considerable disadvantage. The American has a large supply of inexpensive colored labor, and has no additional cost to bear in thci way of accident liability, etc. Then we are laboring under the incubus of tho heavy rates charged by the Government for royalty on timber cut, and land tax upon the growing timber. la' addition, there is a clause in one of the recent Acts which compels the millowner not only to pay income tax upon the profits made from the business, but also by the timber cut down by him. and used in making that profit. For' .instance, if a sawmiller has made a profit of, say, £SOOO in any one year, and has, in making that profit, used' timber which has cost him £2OOO fa royalty, then he i§ required, strange as it may seem, for taxing purposes, to add that £2OOO to the profit actually made, and pay income tax upon t!■rtiole. Then, in addition to all this, he is taxed by the local body upon tin' value of the standing timber, it:' -!. i addition has to pay considcrahl: for using the roads, the traffic looked upon as an extraordinary one and therefore liable to a special charge; and, in addition to all this, he is black'hiailed by every settler whose' land abuts upon any stream down winch his timber must come, or over wluose land the timber must be carted. The result is that New Zealand tiinbersj had become so costly that sawniillers have turned their attention to other centres, and are now obtaining timber better' than much of the timber used, for building purposes in New Zealand at a very much Smaller price. 'ljlie timber merchant docs not care whether lie sells Oregon or New Zealand timber; > it is all oni. to hiin so long as he can make a profit, but it is a very serious matter for tile men in New ZealnPi who are engaged as bush hands and! .mill men, for it will mean that many of them will lose their employment.