OREGON TIMBER AND OUR RAILWAY DEPARTMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 12, 8 February 1909, Page 4

OREGON TIMBER AND OUR RAILWAY DEPARTMENT.

tJ • To the Editor. i Sir, -Last mouth our Railway Departmcnt issued a revised scale of timber charges for long distances, lu this boe tice tile following Hue appears: "Oregon timber will b'e charged rate and a-half. 1 How many who reau tnis notice will understand what it means? In whose interest hsi this regulation been made! Most certaiuly not in tlic interest of ■ the public. It has unquestionably been made in the interest of certain timber millers. Many of your readers, sir, will remember that during the last session of Parliament an effort was made to induce it to impose an additional import duty on Oregon timber. Parliament did* not see fit to comply with tho modest request. The Railway Department, however, came to the rescue of the timber dealers i.ua said, We will - give you effectual protection; we will I block the transit of Oregon timber by] increasing the transit charge by onehalf, or 50 per cent. Let us see how 1 this works. The duty on Oregon timber is 2s per 100 Superficial feet " sawn ' rough," "if ".dressed'' 4s. This, added to other import charges, should be ample •••' protection, The Railway Department, however, "says,; We will do this: If a settler 15 miles out decides to build a house Of Oregon pine, we will charge for •• freight on his , super, instead* tit ls-ldv, If 20 miles out 2s instead "ot ft l 2s lid instead of lsytd.. HOO miles out 1 3s 9d instead of 2s Bd. If ;IQO miles out 1 4s 9d instead of 3s 2d.. If 150 wiles 5s Od ■ instead of 3a 83, and so oil. It will, I i think, be seen 'that adding this extra charge for freighto*tO;,the duty, and t other import Mjik Otegon timber is - pretty well shi&Jiutf... . But ,I. ask :.w ha t 4 right has the Railway Department so to over-rids the wishes and intentions of Parliament. Their action certainly has >' 'and ha» certainly hampered the distant settler. SAMUEL VAILE. Auckland, February 5, 1908.