OUR TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 211, 7 September 1925, Page 15

OUR TIMBER INDUSTRY.

AUSTRALIA SHARES TROUBLES

INADEQUATE PROTECTIVE TARIFF.

INDUSTRY IN PARLOUS CONDITION

(Specially Written for the "•■Star.")

XIII. Apropos the discussion in article No. XII. in which many of the troubles confronting timber millers and worker?, caused -by the importation of foreign timbers to New Zealand, were detailed, word now come 3 from Australia that the industry across the Tasman is also in a parlour condition on account of an inadequate protective tarifi'. "Through inadequate protection." says the "Mel'boume. Age,"' "the timber industry of Australia has fallen upon evil times." Large numbers of gavnnillera have closed or are eloping down, and the consequent list of unemployed timber workers grows larger every day. "Apart from it? sentimental side," states the

■'Age. , ' '•the position is wrong. It is not that v.p do not possess the right kinds of timber, but that the imported article is finding its way more and more into the timber yards for the reason that the Australian product is unable to compete with it. Australian tiuvbers can only be marketed at a 10-s if thoy are brought to thp same juice level a< those imported." That. too. in a nutshell, i* really the position in Ncv Zealand to-day.

Fighting to Secure Protection.

Sawmiile.;-- in Aus:ralia, like Uio-e in Now Zealand, are lighting 10 secure adequate protection. On the other bide so far they have failed, although they have 'been aide to put up a conclusive case to the Tariff Board. TLeir plea, is plainly set out in a just-issued reportwhieh goes exhaustively into :hc. whole matter. It. i< pointe:! out that forestry ar.d emigration go hand in hand; that forestry and opening up the country are inseparable, and what without forestry there would be no .small farnir. ""Wood." it Miy?, "13 ore of the prime necessaries of life. Next to food it is the article of which an abundant, supply is essential, to the nation."'

The Australian timber industry employs normally 33,090 workmen. Tho railways derive a large amount o; revenue from timlx>r, the saniu as in New Zealand, and were it not for thia traffic railway freights in certain part? would be prohibitive. Jt i= also stated that >ome coastal ports liave been built up as tlie result of tiie export wharfages on limber. Unle-s substantial duties are levied on imported tim-ber, these ports will be practically closed. In certain instances tho same remarks apply on this side of the Tasman Sea.

The average timber imports into Australia for the twelve years ended 101.->, .were 313,553,000 super feet. For 10^: 1 ,-24 the imports were 441.637,176 *upcr feet. During 'the past year the t'invber imports increased by 196,000,000 super feet. As fur as Australia is concerned these figures are sufficient to show the inadequacy of .the present tariff. As -tated in the previous article the position in New Zeatend has also become alarming when facts and figures concerning our own timber industry are studied.

Mills Close Down Wholesale. Recently it was stated of Tasmania that half the mills in that state were closed. At that time, some few months ago, t.here were 04 mills closed in Tasmania, out of a total of 192. Of the remainder 92 were working, whole or part time, and there were 905 men unemployed out of -a total of 2210 men normally engaged in the industry.

Xew South Wales reports a great in the timber industry since the end of the war, and but for the fact that there has been '-some demand from New Zealand, the industry would have been much more seriou-slv affected. ,.

Western Australia wants a much higher duty, and every State.is in the same position. Each has a sorry tale of under production and unemployment to tell. And so has New Zealand."

Importers and merchants argue thatAustralian and New Zealand tinvbers are not in competition with the imported article at all, and one hears the same thing on this side of the water. But their own price lists disprove that statement, since foreign timbers are listed for exactly the same purposes.

The importers in 'both places also state that the two countries would not be able to supply their own requirements if the imports were diminished, even in ever so small a degree. This contention is. however, repudiated by leading forestry officials dn both New Zealand and Australia.

Facing Strong Competition. To show what competition New Zealand and Australian timbers have to fa«e, one has only to look at the timber statistics of other countries.

In America the average hours worked by timber labourers per week are 51.5. and the actual average earnings are £2 7/3. Tn the southern area of the United States the weekly hours are fixed ' a«t fiO, and the labour rate at £2 17/6. In Canada the wage is £3 14/6 with 48 to 55 hours a week!" The workers include 26 per cent Asiatics. In Sweden the average wage is £2 8/ a week of 48 hours.

It is contended that for some time American timber has been sold under the cost of production. In the case of Australia, however, if the industry is given adequate protection, the millers have undertaken not to increase their prices while industrial conditions and other factors which govern the cost of production remain the same

One of the moat amazing facts both •here and in Australia i s that freight costs tor the exporting countries overseas are much lower than those between the various states of the Commonwealth an d x- *° ine T "» , ' t «e« between the South and .North Islands of New Zealand. These facts and others uiv en in previous articles, it i, claimed bt the eawmillers, represent overwhelming %}££ v * 7 the , pre3Pnt P afforded New Zealand and Australian umbers is grossly inadequate.