THE TIMBER TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 422, 3 February 1909, Page 9

THE TIMBER TRADE.

v.;;.;-.,;;;</■" AND: : PItICES.;';; y// )-S"-\ ■;'■;; - ";i;IIJV' TEL'EqBArH--i , UESS ;X6MCIATION.) .';:;;'- ;; Auoklariilr February/2./;'. : Although there seerrir'tb/be a good deal of trouble.; amongst. ■.tho'timbormillers ; in.'the; south, :and cutting in prices, is reported to:be going.bn down'there/inquirios : made;here today. ■ elicited-; the -fact '.that' the /position';.of kauri'.'timber-'is .in ! no .way .affected. One •loading of the, trade, when spoken;tb upon the'subject, ;remarke"d:-r-:;:: ' ; ;^';;?.■; ;..". You 6ee, ; our kauri is;n6t:likely to be,affected by the other : timbersi:because, although; ■buildingis.quieter here than it-was.thefeis at the; 1 -present,time- '•;ah/excellent .'demand-for flitches, for.'tfie.:Home market: at full prices/ Some;.big, 'contracts-' have ; been- placed: reoehtly,-' .and could have,been,'got,for'.lß.mphths ahead ■at/the present-prices,-only the; millers would not accept %uch' heavy diriesr.-.Qontracts. have, however, been made, j for;. 12. months..ahead,' ahd,-as I: said :.before, the rates'are; not:'cut, ■.^\-, n »yiV?yr ;: ''' A B:''a;,'toivtteri6r;fa'ct ) : -»8. : :'Bb(ja .as /the/ vessel is..loaded, v /thb / moiiey : cari be 'drawn for; the. timber. -As-far as the mother timbers are concernedj.the.reaj trouble-is that ;the opening;up. of the.;railway,right through to Wellington, has given- access : to rimu/and .tot'ara bushes,; which arb' : bcing worked.: -This caused. >a/number of 'firms to .start,.:mahyi ~of::,-i!hem;-;with'.^:-littla': : ;capital-'-':.to'''cnabIe •them-;,to; hold out, ;and I .suppose .they; are cutting ~the. price for...those ' timbers,/but with.such.a strong market/abroad for/kauri thcreiis no chance of prices /falling here for that timber; It is .quite, true that thereis a falling off/in; building- at the present .time,' ,'6iving;to the. scarcity of 'money, but .that; is 'not/likely ...to last ..long,' as /.'there is still-,a great demand for :;dwellihgs, of the proper, ;class,, and.workmen'at the present time.have to.pay rents that.they really cannot, afford from.the.wages theyyearn'."; ;.:■::■. .;■■;//,-/.;-;;:;.;