IMPORTED TIMBER.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1921, Page 4

IMPORTED TIMBER.

The resolution passed by the Council of the Institute of Architects recently, urging the Government to Ifmit the export of native timber, remove the duty from imported timber, and make the railway freights the same on foreign as on local timber, accords with opinions that have been publicly expressed for some time past, in fact ever since the prices for New Zealand timber became inflated and the shortage acute It is not only admitted, b M ut greatly deplored, that the Dominion’s available supply of building timber is rapidly diminishing, and the greatly increased demand, due to the shortage of houses has resulted in prices soaring to a great height, besides giving the sawmillers (jomplete control of the position, as well as involving vexatious delays in the delivery of long-standing orders This control of the timber trade has been* made possible by the formation of a combine which, though it may be highly advantageous to the millers, is detrimental to the public. It has, of course, to be recognised that every year the work of the millers has become more expensive' owing to the source of supply continually receding as timber is cut out, also to the rise in wages and material, bvt there is a strong feeling that the price yf timber has risen out of proportion to the cost of production, while the shortage is acute and the time not f-ar distant when, at the present rate of usage, the supply must be • materially lessened until the end is reached. Under these circumstances the action of the Architects’ Institute, a body that is intimately concerned with the subject, may be taken as a step in the right direction, both as regards the builders and the public. The reason for differentiation by the Government between supplies of imported and local timber no longer exists. On the contrary it would seem that the time has arrived when, instead of penalising foreign timber, its importation should be stimulated to the utmost. The duty imposed on rough sawn imported timber (except for Government use) is t'ivo shillings per hundred super feet, and in the year 1919 produced a revenue of between five and six thousand pounds, an amount that is not worth consideration when weighed in the scale of the urgent requirements of the country as regards timber supplies, while the imposition of fifty per cent, on railway freights more than for local timber is an anomaly that calls for removal. From whatever point of view this timber question there can be no doubt that the exigencies of the situation justify the removal of the duty and of the extra railway freight. Whatever small loss of revenue may result it will be far more than compensated by the saving effected in local timber and the increased value of property on which much-needed houses are erected for the well-being of the people. Compliance with this urgent request would meet with the approval of the whole community outside those engaged in the milling industry.