TIMBER INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 100, 22 January 1927, Page 26

TIMBER INDUSTRY

SAWMILLERS’ POINT OF VIEW FULLEST INQUIRY COURTED The statements regarding the timber induslrv of the Dominion made by the Labour deputation which asked the Government to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the position and working of the industry from the standing bush to the consumer, were referred yesterday by a Dominion representative to Air. A. Seed, secretary of the Dominion l-'ederatcd Sawmillcrs’ Association. "The industry is certainly in a vciy depressed state owing to the competition of foreign timbers,” remarked Air. Seed. “.Most of the statements made by the members of the Labour deputation aie quite correct. The sawmillcrs are quite willing to submit their case to any commission that may be set up, but theyconsidcr that the inquiries nowbeing made by the Government departments concerned and the investigations of the Tariff Commission will, probably sullice to bring out all the points that it is necessary to consider. If a broad view is taken regarding the industry and its importance and value to the community generally, me sawmillers feel that there can be no doubt but that the Tariff Commission must recommend a more reasonable duty on imported timbers than that at present in operation, which dates back for well over 50 years.” Air. Seed said the methods of working timber and the proceeds of conversion used by the sawmillcrs of New Zealand were the outcome of many years of practical experience in dealing with our peculiarly refractory timbers, and were, dictated in most cases by the economic factors governing the milling of comparatively small 1 areas—the system of selling, or making open for milling, only small areas at a time being the definite policy of the Government. If a thorough investigation were made of New Zealand timber milling methods tinder the conditions imposed by the factors of small areas and refractory timbers, it would be found that these methods and particularly the methods of logging timber in rough countrv compared more than favourably with those employed in anj> other part of the world.

The losses in conversion nnd the inability of the saw-milling industry to find a ready market for a large part of its products were largely due to prejudice on the part of timber users in New Zealand, said Air. Seed. When timber was plentiful and consequently cheap, New Zealand users had contracted the habit of stipulating that otllv the liighest qualities be supplied. It was largely due to this old-time practice that prejudice existed against the use of OB timbers, even for purposes for which these qualities were eminently suited; and the user was largely prone to think that any imported timber must necessarily be of better qualitv than that which could be procured locally. New Zealand sawmillers generally Avould welcome the fullest possible inquiry into their methods and operations, and the many factors at present operating to their disadvantage.