THE TIMBER TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 72, 18 December 1907, Page 4

THE TIMBER TRADE.

PRICE OK KAURI. ~STATEMENT"RY AN AUCKLAND '..MERCHANT.. (from onn special couhefi'Ont)entß.) Auckland, December 17. Tlio remarks passed at tho recent- meeting of tho Trades and Labour Council with reference to the increased price of kauri timber have been the subject of some discussion in timber circles. On being approached by a. "Herald" representative in reference to tho subject, Mr. David Goldie, tho well-known timber'merchant, said: "The prieo of timber has risen from December 1 to tile amount stated by Mr.' Rosser, viz., Is. Gd., 25., and in -some cases: 2s. Gd. per 100 ft.; but in this latter case tho rise includes an advance of Gd. upon the manufactured article. The increase upon' the rough timber in no ease, so far as I know, exceeds 2s. per 100 ft. Mr. Rossor is not correct.in saying that ordinary building timber is noiv 20s. per 100 ft., because ho knows full -well that this is subject to a discount to every buyer, and in the caso : 6f builders this discount is 10 per cent., bringing down the actual price paid to tlio iniilor, to ISs. Nor is lie correct ill saying that there had been two rises in tho last two months. So far as I know, tho last rise took place in April last, sonie eight or nine months ago; and since then tho inillowners have had to submit, to a demand from tho men for increased wages, and in the awardmutually agreed upon substantialincreases have been given. Nor is be correct in saying that there is a combination on foot to put up tlio price of the Oregon timber coming in. Tho fact is that there is some'2oo,000 ft. coming into the market shortly, which has been offered by the' seller to the timber merchants, three of ivhom agreed to divido it up, as no one individual cared to tako tho risk of such a quantity until ho knew that architects ,would be inclined to specify it to be used in the buildings that they were preparing specifications for. From what I know, of the gontlomen who are about to buy it; I thiiilc I can assure Mr. llosscr that if bo is . 'prepared to put dowii tho £1200 required for i■ ~ tlip VijuVcymsc ' bf : .it,' thojf'' lvill be pleased to .'make a deal with liiriv.'at a 'trifle' Ovor cost." ■ ] "Mr. ' Rosscir,"' continued Mr. Goldie, "seems to ignoro tlio fact that the increased cost- of labour and the fact of having to tako timber row from almost inaccessible places are the main factors that govern tlio rises. Wo havii' only to read in the same paper ' that contains the remarks made by him upon tho question referred to the statement matlo by. Mr. Slater, the workers' representative on tho Arbitration Court, to see at a glanco what a difference has been brought about in the Wages paid, by his instrumentality and that of tho unions to soo that such an increaso must necessarily mean an increase in the cost of the articles produced by such labour. This applies equally to men working in the bush as to tradesmen working in tho cities. Tho euro"proposed by him and others, viz., tho retention of tho kauri for use in Now Zealand is fallacious. It. is impossible 'as civilisation advances, and with gumdiggers searching for gum bleeding tho trees, etc., for a like object, to preserve it from the fire. Tho kauri tree is extremely sensitive to firo and I believe thai; almost as •much has been .destroyed by fire as has been used : for,.building -.purposes.lt will have to ' "go,- aiid l if tho, Government, are at all anxious. ' i:to provide choap timber-.then tbey must do '• '-tlie.jsa.nie .as v tbe-. Federal t Government' are ' L "doii'ig—reduce the ' import; .duty.vfrota 2s. to • '•Gd.if on., lot it..como..,in freij.' Then Oregon "can bo sold hero as there at about ■14s. per 100 ft. , Christchurch, Decomber 17. , Christclnircli. timber merchants arc scepitical_ about the '■timber, ring said to exist in . ..Wellington;'--"I: do :not- know' the conditions . ;in Wellington," . said one,timber. 1 ideolor. to •'*«' reporter"at thesamo. timo I ■attach no importance to the. story told by that Wellington . man.' ■! Hp -says that, .hoart of matai can be bought in; Greymoutli . -per-..100ft. r Woll, '1 ..caiiiiofc ..buy ' at • . that price. Then, lie says that-lie-;wanted to ■ build- twonty-fivo houses, but. could llot get the timber, because bis firm had been blacklisted for buying outside the ring. , I do not believe tlio Wellington 1 timber merchants would refuse a good order for a largo quantity of timber. I should bo Ivory glad to got an order for tho timber, for . twenty-five, cottages." Another merchant said that, lie regarded tho prices charged for timber in Christchurch as j'easpnabl.Q.' •"Wo- .have.,ail ~h'o .[said; .'.'but .competition /is-.keen'.nil the 1 'same,' sjrid tlio profits-ai'o not large.-, It; costs me ,1,35. Cd,. -.per : 100 ft; to get. riinu to' Christ- ! • .church and then the stuff has to be bandied hero; and distributed. Wo sell it at 1.55. Gd. per 100 ft., so that you can. see', tho margin of profit is not large."-