TIMBER COMMISSION.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13428, 21 May 1909, Page 8

TIMBER COMMISSION.

SITTINGS AT WELLINGTON, .jf

WELLINGTON-, May 20. "fM The Timber Commission, began, .it* Wellington sittings this afternoon* *'|3§. Henry Brown, of Inglewood, naki, sent- a sworn affidavit, in b> stated that the admission of timber to Taranaki had beea prfjpdi-«W cial to the local timber industry. . ;t f \ --^g Clem Knight, of the Daanevirke Jl!'' Timber Workers' Union, said hie unioa;£|pi wished to have the duty on Oregoa.||S; pine considerably increased. - or :* "-tb^eilß , . timber shut out altogether. '•' v '*»sjf|fiM .mills in his district had suffered »*<•:«!&■ fcrely, and fifteen of them. had down, or were working on duced time. They ha<i each eittploy«v,g||'M ed twenty hands at 10s a dar, paying an average of. £3GOO a .month. who had been earning £11 c were now earning £7 3s a ! where they could, get work : Government. roade at Piripin. • .''; <siIH To Mr Fiold: It: was -,- that the elackniess was , due stringency of the money Oregon timber did a. Ereat- deftly ot*|| j|e harm.; There were over (mostly married) out- of work. was general distress* in the due to the mills shutting dowß.%fr .?a|ge . To Mr Barber: There were •mills working in the trict. ' He had,never, thought,tll(il|tM| the matter of one class ofing penalised by payiaie morei for their houses in consequence of priced timber, in order that; * n - class of- -workers— : tiniber might benefit.; ■ The workers ways prepared topqy a fair'xhiliiis^j^ra™ iir Hanan: How do Oregon, timber has ruined 'ismMMm tradP^-^Oregon:' -^e-^P^^^l^^H What do you -base, that opiu iot j —Upon what I ■ tbo workers, ahd what I; ed from .the. panel's. J •'•■ '•'," \' : * lßgmi : To Mr Jennings: If tho present ditions continue, Saw-mill Bands mt ££n§S leave the Dannerirko district/ as " Mt was notlunfr there for them, to do*, *Wjjgim To Mr Clarke: If the importatiou 4j|fflH Oregon, were .stopped, the mills /^ o ?Jsll§S' reenmo \rorking. straight away,. .jv^fHHr Henry Smith, sawmill.,.workerj*gpraßW,; Eketahuna, said tlfat his. mill'wae employing two-thirds Ji|a» bar nf hands, owing to ehOTCOCM orders, caused He did not':tJunk the. ■l&dto&*3&g&§m due to tlio" sfcringgacy of thg_ market.. For 12 mo ptlM * trade had fallen, off month he only earned £5, Vend tine montli ho had.had only day*' wotkv The timber dying, principally :pTring v petition of Oregon. ; --.-;■ ■■■<--).\ -- -^^M^BB To Mr Field :. There were hundred men' out of work, in hotcfemMM trict, and their position',wash &ssßk£S£m more torrible'Hnan he" liked ); about.' But for tho present pri' «3, there: was enbuprh district to kee-p the- industry some yeain*. -V ■• ».■'. • ■-.■]'' •,. - i'-- !l jf.*.ij > 6>^^»iaß To Mr JLetland: Tiie■ aTertgo supply: in Wellington.;-gaa r million' feet, so that-tiho< imporw of Oregon here was."^ n |y/,?.-.s?!^l^^^^H Mr Leylaud said f th*t informed him that of : :Pr«^ottf«^HS|^H| 6er cent, went to replace iat really the general tnirk«t > affected to the extent of 5 -pet

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