THE TIMBER COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 46, 19 March 1909, Page 2

THE TIMBER COMMISSION.

CKIEVA.NCES VENTILATED. By Telegraph Press Association. Cliristehureh, Last Night. Mr. Taylor introduced a deputation on mailer* connected with the personnel ot the Timber Commission. .Mr. l!oss saiil it Juul been understood •prior to the appointment of the commission that timber merchants would have two representatives on it } one representing the North Island and the other the .South Island. From the personnel ol' the commission lie took it that there was only one represemutfve of the timber merchants on it, Mr. Leylaml, of Auckland, if it were too late to alter things Uiey would have to stand, but the deputation thought they ought to protest against not having a South Island timber merchant on the commission,

Sir Joseph Ward said he would give every consideration to the representations made by the deputation what he recognised was a very important matter. lie had not a more difficult task in his experience of commissions t'lian the setting up of the Timber Commission. llis original idea was to have all interests affected represented, but from representations made to him he had found that to do so would have meant a commission consisting of over 120 members. lie had also found there was going to be sik'li diversity of opinion on the subject of representation on the commission of different interests involved thai he had come to the conclusion that the oply solution of tile difficulty was to have a large uuioliei' of representatives of the people on it, so as to represent all classes of tile community. The timber merchants had not been overlooked in the appointment of the commission. -Mr. Leland was distinctly a merchant's representative. On his (Sir Joseph's) return to Wellington he would go into the matter brought under his notice by the deputation, and would ascertain if the Government would be warranted in granting the request made. He would let them have a reply by .Monday at latest,