DOMINION NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1920, Page 6

DOMINION NEWS.

FIRE DESTROYS TIMBER MILL. By Telecraph.—Press Association. Carterton, March 30. Booth and Co.'s planing mill was destroyed by fire, last night, together with a considerable quantity of timber. Work ceased at 5 o'clock, and at a final inspection at 0 o'clock all was reported safe. At 10.30 o'clock the building was discovered a seething mass of flames. Nothing was saved- The insurance was £IOO on the building and £4oo on M-'- -machinery. The insurance on the timber is not vet available. -The mill wfts lighted throughout with electricity. Tit addition to its loss there was .C4OO wortii of corrugated iron stored in it which was destroyed. This tvi; not insured. A suction gas plant was out in three years ago and cost £Boo.' Tho estimated loss is £3OOO or £4OOO, RelvuiMin.i >s 1o commence at once. By a curious coincidence a house owned by Mr. Booth was mysteriously set on fire at Easter last year, and an anonymous letter received, threatening more.

TOO MANY BOSSKS. Wliakatane, Marcli 30. A special committee of the Taneatua Chamber of Commerce, after visiting the railway works, investigated the complaints- They reported that men generally were discouraged by the low pay, which does not exceed the rate paid for shifting soil 15 years ago. It is estimated that 200 men lately tried the work at new Awakiri and abandoned it. The overseer's keen cutting of the priee also caused irritation. They found 'in a large cutting in white pine bush only two men employed with two barrows, whose pay was less than a penny a barrow load. Plenty of labor was available if paid the same rate as by local bodies. The committee found between Matata and Taneatua, a distance of 19 miles, only 35 men, controlled by nine bosses who never took their coats off. DUTY ON NEW ZEALAND TIMBER. Hokitika, March 30. Advice has been received by cable from Melbourne that the recently revised Commonwealth tariff includes a substantial increase in import duty on New Zealand timber to Australia. Hitherto the rate for white and red pine was Ik per 100 ft. The rate of duty is now fixed at 3s 6d per 100 ft., with the exception of white pine, which is used in Australia solely for the manufacture of butter boxes.