THE PRICE OF TIMBER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 195, 12 May 1908, Page 9

THE PRICE OF TIMBER.

DUTY ON OREGON PINE. A BUILDER'S VIEWS. A deputation waited on the Minister for Customs (tho Hon. J. A. Millar) recently, to uiwe, on' behalf of tho Contractors aiid Builders' Associations of tho Dominion, that tho import duty on foreign timbers bo re : moved, and that the export duty on kauri timber bo increased. This was in view of the increases in the price of timber. The iu- . creases have been very marked, but the inillors urged that they had to go for tho timber. As a result of tho high prices ruling, a quantity of foreign timber had to be uso'd in preference to the local article in many instances. ; A reply was received by tho secretary, of the New Zealand Federation of Builders and .Contractors (Mr. Grenfell) from the Minister, to tho effect that the representations of tho deputation had been considered' by Cabinet, but the Government could not see its way to tako the action suggested by tho builders and contractors. , Whon seen on tho siibject, a prominent builder . and contractor , said that Oregon pine was'.'quoted at 17s. 6d. per 100 superficial ' feet, the duty being 2s. for that measurement.. This Oregon timber competed with building quality liedrt of rimu, which was quoted at 18s.' An .'advantage about the foreign article was that it-was cheaper and lighter to handle. . . The reporter asked a question as to the quantity and prico to the trade of tho Oregon timber. . ■ ■' . The Oregon timber, said , tho informant, was coming in pretty freely oh account of 'the ; high prices of local timber. "If. I had a suitable yard at niy disposal," said the builder, "1 could land Oregon timber at a net cost of about' lis. per 100 ft., but, of course, I would liavo to import a large .quantity.'' ' There woro, ho stated, between two and three million feet on the way to meet requirements. Oregon .timber was cheaper than it had been for a- great many years on-account of tho timber boom having finished at San Francisco and Chicago. The ■financial crisis also had something to.do with it,; as'a'great deal ■of labour. had ' been thrown oil tho market, and the millers were able to produce tho timber cheaper than before. Ho understood, but lie was unable to vouch for it-, ! that one firm had received a quotation of ißs. 3d., landed in Wellington, duty paid. This would probably be conditional upon a large order. Out ! of tho 17S. 6d., previously quoted; the trade would, of course, receive the usual discount, the- same as on rimu. Some of'tho city men; were interested in country' mills, but, speaking generally, all were - pretty well i dependent on the supply froih tlio separately : owned oouutry mills. ' ; As. to the attitude of the millers,' he said that the country millers seemed .to have put their heads together,', and, consequently, tho morchants here had to raise'their prices accordingly. The nierchahts fought against tho monopoly to keep tho prices, down, but unsuccessfully in many cases. - To a question as to what' lie thought of tho contention. of th.o millers that tho timber was more difficult to get at, the reporter was,informed that,there was a lot in it. So many mills were very difficult of access, and as the bush'.was cut down the mills had to go further and further'back, and this certainly increased, tho cost of putting- the 'timber on tlio, trucks. ; Is there any " suggestion that tlio millers, have, ill addition to this difficulty, added unduly to the price of timber? • "I would not like to say that. I think

the present price of timber has been the means ;of stopping the erection ; of a good number ;of "small - buildings, "such as' residences, etc. Tho big builders, however, must havo timber, whatoyer the. price.",