N.Z. TIMBER TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 December 1926, Page 9

N.Z. TIMBER TRADE.

ITS PARLOUS CONDITION. COMPETITION OF IMPORTS. APPEAL TO PUBLIC OPINION. (By Telegraph.—Owti Correspondent.) RAETIHI, this day. At a meeting' convened by the Raetihi Borough Council with the object of calling public attention to the serious state of the timber industry, alleged to have been caused by the wholesale importation of foreign timber into this country, the Mayor (Mr. W. H. Sandford), presided. In opening the meeting, the chairman said that it was an outcome of a deputation which waited upon the council last week. The deputation consisted of members representing the trade in all its branches and they had brought forward the question of timber and how it had affected the industry in an adverse manner. The acuteness was so great that it was affecting other trades and the community at large, and on this account council had decided to take the matter up. The matter was of great importance and, in dealing with it, they must have something bi<* to carry any weight. It had been°suggested that they try and get the Government to stop American softwoods competing with our hard timbers, and also to request public bodies to alter their by-laws regarding the restriction of using 0.8. timbers. If American cedar was put on a proper basis, it should be to compete with our 0.8. grades. The timber industry was of first importance as regards trades, and employed 10,082 people. Wages paid out last year amounted to £2,286,832. We have the goods in the country and it seemed rank folly to import from abroad what we can supply. If the money spent on imported timber had been spent here, it would have kept 38 average-sized mills in work and would have kept 2000 persons on the money earned. Mr. O'Rourke, speaking on behalf of the workers, said that the wolf was at the door in the form of the American Timber Trust. The position was very serious and what would be the outcome he could not say. To make the Government move in the matter was in the hands of the people, for it could not go against organised public opinion. Very little progress had been made in the timber trade during the past ten years, and yet imported timber had made enormous strides, and nine and ten million feet were coming into the country in a period of twelve months. He suggested that there should be no halfway remedy and that it should be a matter of total prohibition of timber as far as New Zealand was concerned. If the local public bodies would relax their by-laws, it would help to alleviate the present acute position. ' Effect of By-laws. Mr. G. J. Goldfinch (Mayor of Ohakune), said that he had been a sawmiller for the past 22 years, and he could safely say that in his own business he had never seen it so adversely affected. He would endorse all that had been said and the facts had not been put too strongly in any way. It was a serious state of affairs as, in a small country like New Zealand, if one section of the; community -was affected it reacted upon all others. Our products abroad were not realising what they had. done formerly and there was not sufficient money coming into the country to go round. Our timbers were better than the American softwoods and were quite suitable for the uses of the people of .this country. Practical men had no doubt as to its quality and no objections to its being used for building purposes. Local authorities were keeping it out of the market owing to restrictions in their by-laws. He considered that some action should be taken so that the people of our towns and eitiee might be convinced that our own timbers w : ere equal to and better than imported timber. He knew they would meet with opposition from some builders and merchants, but at the same time it was necessary that action be taken. The Chairman: From the facts brought before the meeting, it is easy to see that the position is very serious and regarding importation of timber in contrast to lower price for frhe volume of products, it shows that further unemployment is inevitable unless the industry is assisted. Mr. C. le F. Honore said that the avenue through which the trade could look for support would he the local bodies, and if they would alter their by-laws it would help to alleviate the position. It was a matter of convincing them that our 0.8. timber was better than softwoods. He did not agree with total prohibition of importation, as certain lines of imported timber had their uses, especially long lengths of Oregon pine. The Forestry Department's slogan "conservation of forests" was far from fact and it was having the opposite effect. An adverse trade balance had been partly brought about by importing something we already had in the country and our own timber rotting jn our yards. To get any quantity of heart timber a large amount of bush had to be felled and only the cream was taken from the forest and the rest left to rot. There were millions of feet of timber that never would be milled because it did not pay to work it. If 0.8. timber were put up aginst imported, then we should have a fair chance of competition. The cry was for cheaper houses and we could supply them if 0.8. timber were allowed to be used. "Unwarranted Prejudice." After further discussion, the following resolution, which was proposed by the chairman and seconded by Mr. Goldfinch, was carried:—"That this public meeting, viewing the dansrer that is threatening the sawmilling industry and its 10.000 workers and dependents, through tiie heavy importations of softwoods and wood substitutes, urge upon the Government the necessity of placing a prohibition on the import of poods adversely competitive with New Zealand timber products. That local bodies throughout the Dominion be communicated with, pointing out the unwarranted prejudice which has been created largely by the importers of timber against New Zealand 0.8. timbers, and that they be requested to amend their by-laws so as to allow the use of 0.8. timber in buildings." A committee, consisting of Messrs. W. H. Sandford. G. J. Goldfinch, L. J. Vile, C. le F. Honore, A. G. Laloli. E. Neary, J. H. Lucas, and R. Siggley, were appointed to deal with the matter.