H.—24

VI

Blindmakers ... ... ... ... ... 2 Merchants ... ... ... ... ... 2 Settlers .... .... .... .... .... .... 2 Building Inspector ... ... ... ... 1 Staircase-maker ... ... ... ... ... 1 Canadian import agent ... ... ... ... 1 Auditor ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Sleeper-getter ... ... ... ... ... 1 Secretary to dairy company ... ... ... 1 Lawyer ... ... ... ... ... • • • 1 Manager of wood-preservative works ... ... 1 Iron-founder ... ... ... ... ... 1 Clerk of works ... ... ... ... ... 1 Coachbuilder ... ... ... ... ... 1 Harbour Board foreman ... ... ... ... 1 Lands Department's officers ... ... ... 13 Railway Department's officers ... ... ... 13 Public Works Department's officer ... ... ... 1 Customs Department's officers ... ... ... 2 Total ... ... ... ... ... 154 The examinations of these witnesses occupied 162 hours, and it is satisfactory to state that in every case they came forward willingly. No expenses were paid to any witness, and every facility was afforded the Commission to obtain information regarding the subjects of its inquiry. The Commission is glad to record the cordial relations which are found to exist throughout the Dominion generally between sawmillers and sawmillworkers, it being shown that in many sawmilling districts the wages paid are in excess of those prescribed by the Arbitration Court. Sittings at the places named in the order of reference were held as follows :— Invercargill . . .. .. March 25, 27, 29, 30, and 31. Dunedin . . .. .. April 1, 2, and 3. Christchurch . . .. . . April 6, 7, and 8. Greymouth .. .. . . April 15, 18, 19, and 20. Taihape .. .. . . April 27 and 28. Auckland .. .. . . May 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Wellington .. .. .. May 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, and 27. Every effort was made to thoroughly carry out the duties intrusted to us. The limited period, however, within which this could be done, and a report submitted to Your Excellency by the date originally fixed, necessitated the greatest expedition being used to accomplish this object. We frequently sat from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to take evidence, and in some places also held evening sittings. The evidence so taken is now being printed, and will be duly submitted to Your Excellency, together with statistics and returns alluded to in this report and not accompanying it. Passing to the several matters we were specially instructed to inquire into, we beg to report as follows : — With respect to New Zealand Timber. (1.) The Cost of Felling. Careful and thorough investigation of the methods adopted at the mills, and in the bush workings we visited, which were regarded as typical of the conditions prevailing in the various parts of New Zealand, has proved that the nature of the country where a mill is working, and its distance from a railway siding, materially affects the cost in each case. The system generally in vogue in districts south of Auckland is for a log to be hauled by a wire rope, connected with a stationary engine, from the place where it is felled to the tramway running from the sawmill into the forest. Arrived at the tramway, the log is