PRICE OF TIMBER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 161, 1 April 1908, Page 10

PRICE OF TIMBER.

ANOTHER RISE ANNOUNCED. • •'WELLINGTON, WANGANUI, ■ AND WAIRARAPA AFFECTED. BT TELEGRAM—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. Carterton, March 31. ' As predicted in Tiie Dominion several weeks ago, sawmillors hate been forced' to raise the price of timber in the Wellington, Wairarapa, and Wanganui districts as from April 1, 1908. . . ' ' In Wellington tho rise will bo 2s. per 100 feet on all: heart timber, but thorp, will bo no'rise in the price of ordinary building timber in Wellington, and tho average increase all round in tho city will bo about Is. per 100 feet. . The rise in the Wairarapa will bo Is. per 100 feet all round; and in Wanganui 2s. per 100 feet oil all heart timbers, and Is. per 100 feet on ordinary building timber. It is intended, howover, to allow special ordors at present in .hand to be completed at' the previous rates. It is reported that the old-established sawmilling; firm of (Messrs. William Booth and Company, Carterton, at present under tho control of the Public Trustee, has been taken over by a syndicate, which will work the business as a limited liability company. THE LAST WELLINGTON PRICE LIST. On January 16 it was announced that tho price of building timber had been raised all round by Wellington merchants. Kauri was advanced 2s. per 100 feet; red pine, Is. per 100 feet; and heart of matai, Is. per 100 I feet. Tho pricos> then ruling for the chief linos of timber .were<as follow:—,. ' ■ KAURI. , Old ... Present price. price. Heart (sawn). ... ... 275. Od. 295.,0 d. Heart, I2in. by lin. (dressed) ... ... 30s. Od. 325. 0d; Heart, , 4in. by lin. (dressed), ... < ,30s. Od. 325. Od. 6in. by Jin. T. and G. ... 255. Od. 275. Od. 4in.bv Jin. T. and G. ... ,265. Od. 28s. Od. 12in. by ;]in. (dressed) ... 275. 6d. 295.-6 d. to 12in. by Jin. ... 225. 6d. 235. 6d. •Medium kauri (sawn) ... 245. Od. 265. 6d. Medium kauri, lin, : (dressed) \ ... .... -275. Od. 295. Cd. Second kauri, Jin. rough . . : . ' liniD /5, ' ' - ,125., od. . 13s. Od. , (Other lines proportionately.) : TOTARA. Heart (sawn) , ..... .... 235.i Od. 245. ; od. Heart (clean) ... .... 255. bd. 265. Od. Heart (dressed) ... 275. Od. 28s. Od. a RED PINE.' ; , Ordinary building to : i' ; lOin. wide. .... ... 13s. 6d. 14s. 63. Ordinary,> ; l2in. ... ... 14s; 6d. 15s. 6d. Ordinary, f Bin. by Jin:. .. - full cut os. 6d. 10s. Od. .Ordinary, 4in. by Jin. A ~T- «»d <3. ...' ... -16s; 6d.' 17s. 6d. Ordinary, Bm. by lin. . .T. and G. ... 17 S . od. 18s. Od. ■Ordinary, 6m. 'to 12in. '•'n j- by i' n - ( d r«sed) ... 15s. od. 15s: 6d. Ordinary ,12in. by iin. 18s. 6d. 19s. 6d. (Other lines proportionately.) MATAI. wi ¥ a # (saw ,?) ' '.:.V.tl9s: ; 6d.' 20s. 6d. Ji£art (dressed) 6m.' or w'°S n /j by ' Ii S ; V ' - 22s- 6d. 235. 6d. Heart (dressed) 9m. to ■ ' ' n n' 12 n hy 'J in - '- ' 28s - od.\24s.'od. •• ' (dressed) ~.. ; ... 18s. od. 19s. Od. • (Utlior lines proportionately.) _.The last price-list, issued by tho Wellington Timber Merchants Association, prior'to that published 'above, was on May 1, 1907.' • ; , On February .21, it was, announced that Palmerston sawnnllers 'had , increased tho prico<of timber by Is; per 100 feet. REASONS FOR THE INCREASE.' The Wairarapa'Sawmillers* Association has been discussing a further riso for somo timo past, and 111 the middle of February. Mr. W MAulay, secretary, of tho Association, informed our Wairarapa correspondent that there was hardly- a .doubt'that' a rise must come soon. " Of- course," added Mr. 1U Aulay, thero will be the usual cry of tho Association exploiting .the public for it's own gain, but I can unreservedly state—and I It- ' $ to.be stated as publicly as possible— that,this is-not. so:. The fact is that, with ono or two exceptions, sawmillers 'in this district,which; extends from Wellington to' \\ ooclville, are in a very bad way. ■■ * . ... 1 ■ In ..the first place, they 'are generally, handicapped! by the;cost of production,' which grows greater year b'y.year. . Then they.have just , suffered terrible losses through fire • owing to the fact that mills have been-de-stroyed, that could'not be. insured. ■ 'In this way tho millers have undoubtedly lost thousands oi pounds.; Lastly,-: there is 'Judgo bun sreoent arbitration award,'which is most . unsatisfactory employers. Howover, it is. m vogue for three years, and employers will have to stand tho racket ono way'or 'another, lho only way seems to be to raise the price of . timber. No doubt this means' that there will be a/cry on the part of somo agitators that tho Government should take off the present prohibitive import tariff oil timber, but if this , were dono the mills would'be forced to close down altogether, and when you consider that, of £60,000 a year paid out by", this Association, two-thircis of it'goes in wages that tho Government will think twice before it takes such an extreme measure.";';' • , / -.

X?»- canVstate, in addition, that the' in this district—there tvro eighteen —at present 'havo no' intention 'of closing down, for at-least three or four years,' while some havo rights of cutting which iviil last for fully another'ten years. It has also been suggested that the Government should institute, a board of inquiry as to the alleged profits mado by the sawmillers. Well," our Association .courts'-such"'an-inquiry.. Let it como as soon as possible. Then the public will see that, instead of making huge profits sawmillers generally are desperately hard up." -■ : I-.. .