THE PRICE OF TIMBER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 197, 14 May 1908, Page 8

THE PRICE OF TIMBER.

MERCHANTS' POINT OF VIEW. THE SUPPLY FOR, THE WELLINGTON MARKET. With a view of ascertaining the point of viow of the timber merchants in regard to the statements, appearing in Tuesday's and yesterday's Dominion on tho prico of timber, a reporter called on Mr. N. F. Slarlcy, Secretary of. tho Timber Merchants'. Association, last evening.It might be trnc, said Mr.- Marloy, that Oregon pino was quoted at 17s. Gd., but that meant 17s. Gd. less 7% per cent, discount on tho 20th of tho following month, and there was a vast difference between the two, as tho money, in tho first instance, must bo paid before delivery was given. On such ■ an order as two or thrco million feet, £5000 or'£6ooo would havo to bo paid down. No doubt Oregon pino could bo procured cheaper if purchased in large quantities, but tho difficulty was in providing storage room, which in Wellington cost 30s. per week. Then it had to be re-cut, as it came 18ft. 12 x 6, and four feet were wasted in making it 14ft. 6 x 6. Fluctuations, also, had to bo allowed for. The statemont appeared that a quotation was mado at Bs. 3d. per 100 superficial feet landed at Wellington, duty paid, but ho had never heard of anyone buying at that price, and he imagined that the articlo must bo very inferior. It was reported in the last two days that the prico of Oregon timber had gono up by 10s. per. thousand' feet, and a man who bought two or three million feet had to risk fluctuations like these. "The merchants were not pitting, Oregon pine against tho New Zealand pine," continued Mr. Marley, "but tho difficulty has been to obtain a sufficient supply. Take last year for instance. Tho whole of the .mills in this Island which supplied the Wellington market only supplied a fraction over half of tho total imported in AVellington for the year. Yes, its is very small, but wo know that the quantity is diminishing fast, and wo have to look somewhere for our timber. "As -to tho timber along tho Main Trunk lino, it will be practically all absorbed by tho towns on the lino and thoso inland from it. I understand that there' is nothing like tho quantity of timbor along that routo that" has been stated. At. tho conference at Now Plymouth in March last, a West Coast (South Island) miller, an expert on the subject, reported that he had spent a week in that district, and; he said that he felt ho was £1000 richer after seeing that bush, as ho had boon frightened at tho quantity which was said to exist. No doubt there is a largo quantity of timber in that part of the country', but certainly not as much as has been represented. We cannot get tho supplies wo want in the North Island, so wo must fall back on seaborne timber." Mr. Marner said,,in answer to a question, that'a . largo proportion of tho timber, used came'from .Greymouth. Tho Hawke's Bay'mills wore very nearly cut out, and onlv a small quantity came from thoro. Ho did not think that the'duty should bo taken off Oregon pino, although they, as timber merchants, would like to seo it off. Ho did not soe how tho_Government could take tho duty off, 1 knowing tho prices at which this timber could be bought. Some saw-millers would, of course, liko to seo the duty increased.