TIMBER COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 90, 12 May 1909, Page 2

TIMBER COMMISSION.

By Telegraph.—Pi-ess Association. (' v v i / uckl ' l . lul ' Night. \. Kobcits, architect, with expericnce 111 California and New Zealand,said lie had used Oregon pine continuously, lie was astonished at its durability, tt was the best timber in the world for bearing purposes. The best Oregon did not come hero, but it was a very'good quality on this market. Auckland, Last Night. Henry Valder, managing director of Ellis and Burnand, Ltd., said his iirm cut about 1,500,000 feet per 111011 th, an! employed between 300 and 400 men. Although the cost of living and provisions hail gone up of late years the cost of felling, that is from the log to t'l'i ti lick, had not gone lip ia the same proportion owing to the improved methods of haulage by steam instead ol by bullocks. Steam haulage: had made many parts of the bush aecessible which were not previously so. For every 100 feet of timber produced his firm 'paid 5s Od in wages, consequently for every 100 feet imported that sum iu wages was lost to the workers here. He thought an increased duty should be placed-0-1 long lengths of Oregon pine as well as on short lengths. They gave 17'/, per cent, discount to the bjiildcr; that" was the amount lixed by the South Auckland Sawniillers' Association. He admitted that 11 number of small sawmills in the Waikiito and King Country were iu difficulties before the importation of Oregon pine eonimenced. Mr. Levlaud: So Oregon pine is not responsible for their difficulties? Witness: Not entirely. Nevertheless, it has had a bad effeet upon the industry. (J. 11. Norrie, railway storekeeper at Newmarket, said lie had great difficulty in obtaining supplVs of heart of rimu and kauri, lie had placed orders three years ago, which had not been executed yet. He admitted that the tlovernliient were very exacting ill regard to quality. They had used a little Oregon, lint the policy was to support local industry. They used about J00,(100 feet a 111011 th* About eighteen months ago they hud cancelled unfulfilled orders for 1,UK),000 feet of kauri. Since the mi,portation of Oregon pine, the supplies ! of kauri required by the Government I had been coming forward more freely. He favored an export duty on kauri.