HIGHER DUTIES

Evening Star, Issue 19319, 4 August 1926, Page 2

HIGHER DUTIES

COK&ERTED ME BY TIMBER INDUSTRY

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter,]

WELLINGTON, August 3. Tho imposition of reasonable and more adequate Customs protection against the importations of all timbers which principally compete wdth the products of the New Zealand mills was tho subject of a large number of petitions presented to the House of Representatives yesterday. It was an effective concerted effort, about twenty members including the Prime Minister, having received petitions from their constituencies.

The petitioners maintained that tho saw-milling industry was in a sorely depressed state as a. result of, the coinpetition from heavy importations of soft woods and other timbers, principally from foreign countries, where they were produced by alien labor, mostly employed at low wages. It was further contended that the recent increase in tho railway timber freights had contributed materially towards the present situation, and by reason of the existing depression many of tho 10,000 adult workers which the industry normally absorbed could be only employed half time, while others had necessarily been discharged. In view of tho large importations, grave fears were entertained that still more mills would be obliged to close down.