DUTY ON OUTSIDE TIMBER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 212, 28 August 1908, Page 2

DUTY ON OUTSIDE TIMBER.

UTS REMOVAL ADVOCATED. DEAR TIMBER AND HOUSEBUILDING. DISCUSSION BV MASTER BUILDERS j, By Telegraph.—Press Association. v , Auckland, Last Night. (j The duty on Oregon pine formed the 0 , subject of a discussion at yesterday's (j meeting of the Auckland Builders' As- jj sedation. Tnc matter .vas brought up on u motion of Mr. .). liowo to tJhei effect—'"Mat this Association considers tile proposal to increase the duty on imported building tinnier inadvisable." Mr. Rowe said that the Customs had now informed tlie New Zealand ( j Builders' and Contractors' Federation that the Ministry had decided to alter j the import or export duty on timber, . although 710 increase ot duly was tihrcatuned immediately. The position " was nevertheless a serious one. They must make a big effort to combat tHie , expressed desire of the sawmillers for an increased import duty on Oregon . and other timbers. It was the business of the Government to see that every colonist was left in a position to c build his house at a reasonable cost. ' The Sawmillers were not uy any ' means the only puople concerned. ' Builders in Auckland were losing work every day owing to the fact that peo- ' pie would not build with timber at its ' present cost. Mr. Johns moved an amendment to

the effect that the Association should work for the total abolition of the duty. Not a quarter of the building was going on in Auckland wliicOi might be under way were timber prices nt a reasonable figure. Builders should start by breaking tihe ring of timber merchants which was helping to keep up prices. There was a remarkable example of how the ring had captured' the market in the fact that timber could bo shipped from Hokianga to Sydney and tiien back again to Wellington and be sold at a cheaper rate than that at which it was obtainable from the ordinary merchants. The builders must combine to import tlhair own timber and also buy native woods from mills not in, the ring. Mr. Davies said mat some sixteen months ago a deputation from tho Association waited upon th o Hon. Geo. Fowlds, and asked that the daty of 2s per 100 ft be taken oil Oregon pine. They were told that the ma tier would had the consideration of ihe Ministry, but no change had been mude ill the way of reducing the import duty on Oregon or increasing the export duty on native timber. The deputation pointed out to Mr. F«wlds that there was a shortage of timber foi building purposes, but it would appear tnat Mb Dominion sawmillers had only been waiting for the tariff to be fixed, and they were free irom foreign competition, 'for since that time there had| been two big increases in the cost of kauri amounting altogether to 2s 6d per 100 ft. Not only was it desirable that Oregon should be allowed to enter free but also Australian red-wood, which was a timber whicli did not enter into competition with any other. Mr. Rowe stated that he was thoroughly in favor of the amendment, advocating entire abolition of the import duty, and on it being put to a vote, the amendment was carried unanimously.