TIMBER COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 519, 28 May 1909, Page 4

TIMBER COMMISSION.

■ ■ -4 INTERESTING FIGURES. EVIDENCE CONQLUDED v - The Timber, Commission resumed aty 9 o'clock yesterday morning. The Hon. T.'/Y. Duncan presided over a full attendance of members. The first witness called was F. G. Dalztell. managing director of the Taupo Totara Timber Company, who explained the difficulties to be contended with by his company with the resultant benefit in opening up the country, entitliug tho company to consideration from the commission, /frhen they expected to gain the Auckland market, it was round to be flooded with' Orogon. .He was in favour of employing 'improved methods m iNcw Zealand instead .of importing timber. The industry should be protected and encouraged. , -To Mr.' Leyland: In referring to the combination he meant a possible combination of tnose interests in imported timbers. t j Kensington, Under-Secretary for Lands, stated that the milling area availablo Jas 14,131,933 acres, equal to about 34,704,328,537 feet of timber. The area of Crown lauds, including State forests and forest reserves, wa5'7,010,535 acres, equalto 18,668,005 feet. The area' of the national parks and scenery and climatic reserves was 2,079,979 acres and the timber thereon -1,439,799,840' feet.- Tho private and native land with timber thereon was 5,041,419 acres, equal k> 14,575,653,813 feet. He thought tho present supplies of timber, allowing for increase in population, should.last about fifty years. For State forests they had reserved 2,311,897 acres, which,, with the national parks and scenic reserves, made a grand total of 4,391,868 acres. There would not be much milling timber on these reserves. - The re 7 afforestation branch was only started in 1897, and therefore the results attained were thoso of about ten years' work. The planting of wasto lands had been paid'for,from the money received from tho sale.of timber on State forests. Ho had noticed that certain local bodies had thought they should have half, the receipts from the State forests, but tho revenue was earmarked for reafforestation. Tip to now, about £170,000 had been' spent in reafforestation: The total area planted to date was 12,069 acres. Tho number of trees raised was, 63,576,448, the estimated valuo being-£124,655. Tho area planted last year was 689 acres. Tho printrees planted were larch nnd.pinus lorissio. From seven to ten years from date, he thought returns could be obtained from the plantations, particularly thoso at \Vaiotapu and Whakarewarowa. ■• ■.- ; To Mr;; Leyland: Ho thought it a,proper thing to increase tho energy and money, ox■pendod on reafforestation.. '. To Mr. Morris: Many of tho settlors had destroyed the timber on their allotments, but they had'found that this was not advisable, and had commenced to replant. . ■ • ■ To. Mr..Ell: Parliament had not voted a penny for reafforestation. T. Ronayne, General Manager of tho Railways, put forward reasons why . Australian hardwood was'used by tho Railway Department. Jarrah, ho said/ was most suitable for wagon-building, and it could be secured at tho same cost as heart rimu. Moreover, tho latter was difficult to obtain. Tho Railway Department had taken over the control of tho State mill at Kak&hi, and should-now be independent of othor millers, as- far as sleepers were concerned. To Mr. Barber: Millers had been very dilatory in .meeting orders of tho .Department Until recently. To Mr. Ell: It had been the policy of tho Government to purchase local timbers in preference to tho imported article;. even if a littlo expenso was thoreby necessitated, Tho Department purchased British rails when they might got them cheaper in Belgium or Germany, but still this policy had been adopted. To Mr. Barber: If the timber trade fell off the railway returns would bo affected. There was a certain amount of profit on timber, but,not: so much as. on ordinary merchandiso. , Tho .' Department would bo very sorry to lose -the timber business... John Thomas Watorhouse.a clerk of works, stated that.'sinoo the introduction of Oregon he had had ho difficulty in securing New Zca-. land timber, and during tho past nine months ho did not have to condemn any timber, '_ To Mr. Barber: The riso in the price* of timber during the past ten years would be about 6s. per 100 foot. That would not be overstating it. Ho beljeved .Oregon was supplying a want in tho market. To Mr. Morris: Ho would rather'pay 3s. per 100 feet more for Oregon than for 0.8. .rimu.- ■■'.-' Mr. Morris: You're a renegade New Zealander! I givo yon up. Mr. Hanan'(to Mr. Morris): You're a selfish New Zealander! Frits Jenssen, ex-manager, of the-Hawko's Bny Timber Company, Dannovirko, said that £10,000 had boon sent out of the Dominion to purchase Oregon pine at a time when tho money could ill be. spared from tho country: ..Joseph Butler,' a .West Coast sawmiller, said that the New Zealand millers could not 'take advantage, of modern: methods'unless thoy-were given larger holdings. Ho put in wage-sheets filled in by mill labourers at Pugot Sound, Oregon, , At 6.5 p.m.- tho evidence to be taken by tho commission closed. .. On'tho motion of Mr. Field, a vote of thanks was accorded tho witnesses. It was unique in Buch commissions, ho'said, that the witnesses -had com© to givo .evidence and never claimed expenses.. This was seconded by.Mr..Arnold. . : '/■' The chairman said the commission was unique, for the number of witnesses and tho valuo of. the evidence given. , The \Commission then adjourned > . ■', ■