THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 44, 22 February 1927, Page 8

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

PRICES AND RENTS. (To the Editor.) Sawmilling i* really a primary. aot secondary industry, end one with ■<»,■■&& f mers ha v<. neighbourly as «-<,]]"* kinship. It ic alsj an industry, and as Mich on« part of it if caiii, s the'o&a. j.arf* fle-h. in which it also resembles farm inp. (AU.ui onf-nimh of the iota! the mills' output i« half * j.ound* worm, roujrhly oquival«-ai tTti export value of skniKi But fiaTCitiU] in? *»» Jia v c «<» put iu hoiißp in ,~" not the cost of limhri to farmers wludh ani tors, but the vicious reaei ion of the tost limber in dear housing nnd hijrh rent*. tT Labour party plead* that. even '"?«■ >* lake* two and a-half to three davT' pay per week for rcn;. as against one daV« pay formerly, and the samo percentage doukJess obtain? in the rents of business and otW prcmif.es. Increased rent and increased cZ of dothmp arc the principal factors inducing the for an uneconomic wage and will unless summarily dealt with, call a permanent halt in the projrre** o f the country. Increase the duties on timber and clothing. ani j doles as the bonus to lialiy Xn. 3 u-jri -lZ useless to family mm. How those who nrofess \o be the peculiar friends of Labour «m iniss this point is a mystery. Xor do we "W jnoney" by buying abroad, a s Mr. Tunribull says. We gain by effecting a better barrai lu Most of our exported timber -rocs to Australia. If a duty of 17/6 is imposed there, as Mr. Turnbull suggests, it will be ruinous to mtmv sawmillcrs. That such a duty shonld be even mentioned shows that protection does not serve it* purpose. Incidentally, there was a considerable rise in the protection afforded to the ]oca] product by the duty on cedar, etc imposed last year, already forgotten. Nothing could be more dangerous than Government stabilisation of timber prices, which wonlj mean high rents for ever. As to the contention that greater production would cheapen costs, that is disposed of by statistical evidence. Between 1920 and 1922 the amount of sun timber from the mills increased by more tiban the total importation, rising from 250 to 315 million feet The cost of timber at the milli increased over 50 per cent, making an opening for foreign timber in spite of duty and freiriit charges. The plain fact is that the milieu took advantage of the building boom to Tain* prices, which raised rents, and prices have not been reduced. A vicious reaction i« seen it that group of industries which, beside* saw. milling, includes sash and door manufacture, woodware and turnery, coopering and casemaking. in which group neither incraaeei machinery nor increased output cheapened tl» product*. Materials for the four years 18201924 cost £6,123.589. Had they been operated oi at the same cost as in 19J9-SO. the products would have sold for £12,737,065. They actually sold for £22,564.100, an advance of £10,OOD,floj}, representing a loss to the community, beside* which the !os§ on settlement of returned soldiers is a mere bagatelle. Yet men who profess to have the welfare of tic people at heart would see this perpetuated; Sooner or later building must era te to be the chief city industry of New Zealand and the sawmills. 'which in*. creased their hands from 5821 to 9435 between 1919 and 1924, must slacken off. It is an absurdity to expect the nation to continue to keen men employed xincconomically. The concluding quotation of Mr. "Each man working is an asset." is tripe. If a man's work costs the nation something, he is a debit, not an aeeet. The way out for the sawmillinj; industry is increased efficiency, and if it asks the G-overnmcnt for any help it should be *n tho direction of an investigation into the reason for such high transport charges A. E. BOBDTSON. /