THE TIMBER WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 41, 9 July 1914, Page 4

THE TIMBER WORKERS.

DEPUTATION TO MK. MASSEY. By Telegrapa —Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. Replying to a deputation from the Timiber Workers' Conference to-day, the ■Prime Minister stated that the Forestry Department was making, experiments in growing trees suitable for taking the' place of white pine for but-ter-boxes -when the supplies of the latter ran out. Tlhere was one variety, a quick-growing poplar, being planted, which might prove suitable. The Government intended to establish a State sawmill in connection with the Waipoua Forest, North [Auckland, and necessary inquiries were now being : made. It was intended to deal with ! the question of freights on "shorts" i which would be carried by the railways af the lowest possible rates. He could not encourage the idea of a duty on butter and other exports. He stated j that he expected that there would be a j boom in the labor market next spring and summer. The only immigrants the I Government vere assisting were domeej tic servants and farm laborers. I The deputation also objected to the j importation of foreign timber in small I sizes, which deprived local workers | of a considerable amount of employment, and asked that a duty be placed | on -all timbers under size 12 by 12. The deputation asserted that it had been | -found when wages were raised by the I court 5 per cent., that the price of the commodity affected often went up 10 to lo per cent. IJhey suggested an amendment of the Act, so that the employers could not raise prices unless •racy proved to th« court their claim to do so. Replying, Mir. Massey said there waa a certain amount of force in the request for an increased duty on smallsized timbers, and he would give it attention. The Government would gladly help in stopping employers raising prices. The difficulty with regard to the carriage of "shorts" was that the railways muat pay thpir way. It deptnded on the way ■ Parliament got through its woTk whether it would! deal with the Workers' Compensation Act. As to the siiggestion to put an export duty on butter, lie pointed o'l.t the serious danger of tampering with exports. They should encourage,exports in every possible way. No doubt buttor had been too dear in New Zealand. He tow utterly opposed to any combination for putting up prices, and was prepared to introduce legislation to prevent it. As to unions' liberty to spend their funds as they deemed fit, he pointed out thiit the present law applied to the regis- j tration of a union only for the pur- i poses of the Act. It seemed to him' that a trades union was not intended to be a political association, and that it was hardly fair to use the funds of a. minority for purposes which, it did not approve.