THE TIMBER INDESTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 287, 28 November 1908, Page 2

THE TIMBER INDESTRY.

ITS SERIOUS CONDITION. DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. By Telegraph.-Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A large deputation of saw-millers, timber merchants, and labor representatives waited on the Prime Minister today in regard to the serious condition of the timber industry.

Mr. D. MeUren, M.P., said many works from Tuiliape were present. Between four hundred ilm i tf ve ] mll( j r .a men in that district were out of work through the closing of mills. An attempt haiLbeen made to combat the importation of Oregon pine by the imposition of a duty, kit care should be taken' in this matter, as the high price o- timber in Hie cities was a serious tiling for the working classes.

Mr. Gardner, « Taihapo miller, said the importation of Oregon timber was taking the bread ami butter out of the mouths of their wives and children.

■Mr. W. 11. Field, M.l'., said if Oregon pine came to New Zealand as it threatened to, the mills must close. Hundreds would be thrown out of work, and the country would be at the mercy of a foreign monopoly. Mills were non-e-losing down all over the country Mr. A. K. Bailey said thev wanted the Government to hang up the pi.)posed Royal Commission, lie also spoke of the seriousness of the position. The loss „f wages ,„>„• reached 1:1500 per mouth. '

Mr. W. A. Ellis (Waikato) said the nulls m in,. Northern district paid about U4IUMIO ;l year in railway freights. Mr. F. .lenssen (llawke's Bav) said Oregon pine caaie to Xew Zealand for ills ,>d net. (lut of that 7s lid went back to America. ,11,. asked that the duty on Oregon .pine be iiu-rcasid to -i< per loilfi, and the importation of battens, scantling, and ordinary boards be prohibited. Mr. W. Butler (West Coast), Mr. Hopkirk (limber merchant), and Mr. Coradine (Wairarapa) also spoke. In reply, the Prime Minister said a Royal Commission was to be set up to enquire into tli.- position without delay. When the steamship service with Canada, which had been referred to, was arranged, it was „„t contemplated that timber would form a portion of the trade between Canada and New Zealand by tin; service. Xew Zealand's subsidy would expire next April. The Government was not prepared to subsidise any service to carry timber against the interests of people, working in this country. (Hear, hear.) The first thing was to find out what was wrong, and then to seek a remedy. If the timber merchants had offered, as the millers had, to allow their hooks to he examined, he was not sure a Royal Commission would have been necessary. If figures supplied that day were correct, somebody was making a profit of 43 per cent, on the prices of timber as landed in Wellington. In the meantime he would do the only thing he could (ill Parliament lnetby endeavoring to give reduced rates on the railways, and lie would look also into the question of long-distance rates. He would far sooner help ill every pos- | sible way the local timber industry than do anything to encourage any external trade, but they had to be very careful about altering the duty. Perliaps the assertions .that had been made about the tightness of money had aggravated the position, lie was not in favor of starting State sawmills, as there were now enough mills to supply requirements. He was fully impressed with the necessity of dealing with this matter as soon as possible .and having an effective remedy devised.