Little Loss Seen To Canterbury

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 20

Little Loss Seen To Canterbury

(New Zealand Press Association) GREYMOUTH, July 19. “I cannot understand the tremendous urgency with which Canterbury timber users are treating the Government’s insistence that sawmills on the West Coast must agree to process here 80 per cent of the timber they use before they are granted cutting rights,” said the Greymouth Chamber of Commerce president (Mr D. H. Copeland) yesterday.

“The restriction applies only to new lines and there will be an obvious saving in freight,” he said. “It is obvious that joinery will not be made on the coast for export. The timber is only to be treated on the coast. “Therefore It should be just as obvious to Canterbury manufacturers that they will lose only a tiny proportion of the work over there—so why the urgency?” said Mr Copeland. “Surely with all the expansion over there they can absorb this small loss without even noticing it”

Referring to the consequent loss of population to Canterbury, Mr Copeland said: “The people over there must realise—and I am sure they do—that on a proportionate basis, the small loss to Canterbury will be an immense gain to the Coast.” Mr Copeland urged Canterbury manufacturers to take a second look at proposals to turn to Southland for timber supplies. “I would ask the Canterbury manufacturers who are turning to Southland for their supplies to stop and think where their supplies are going to be coming from in 20 years’ time,” said Mr Copeland.