SAW-MILLING INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 19464, 24 January 1927, Page 4

SAW-MILLING INDUSTRY

SERIOUSLY THREATENED IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN TIMBER The saw-milling industry in Otago and Southland is in a parlous state at the present time, and the outlook for the forthcoming year is far from bright. This was the view expressed to an ‘ Evening Star ’ reporter on Saturday by Mr T. O’Byrne, secretary of the Otago and Southland Saw-mill Workers’ Union and president of the New Zealand Saw-mill Workers’ Federation. Mr O’Byrne’s remarks in regard to tire timber trade carry weight, as he has been connected with the saw-milling industry in practically all of its phases for the past thirty-five years. In normal times, he stated, about 1,200 men are engaged in saw-milling in Otago and Southland, but just now conditions and trade were so bad that not more than SOO men were employed. Some forty mills are in active operation, but many of them are employing only half the number of men they did a year ago, and the mills in the Gatlins River district are typical instances. Rimu (red pine), which there, as is the case throughout Otago and Southland, is one of the principal timbers milled, but there is not the same demand for it that there was a year ago. A number of factors are responsible for this state of affairs, which is general in most classes of timber in the industry, but, apart from some slackness in the building trade, overproduction, and the tightness of money, it is really traceable to the effects accruing from the importation of foreign timber, principally from America and Canada. Used largely for building purposes, the biggest bugbear to New Zealand saw-millers is Oregon timber, which is the principal class of timber being imported at present. “Do you think the establishment or a Royal Commission is a step in the right direction?” Mr O’Byrno was asked. “Yes,” came the reply; “but I believe in even more drastic action than the placing of a tariff on imported timber. I would allow into the country only that timber which was absolutely necessary.” He added that this could be let in free of duty if it were impossible to obtain a similar class of timber in New Zealand, and he instanced such timber as Australian hardwood, which is used for sleepers, bridges, etc. Much of the American timber that, is allowed in without the imposition of any restrictive tariff could he done without, exceptions being 40ft to 80ft long beams. Imported timber, asserted Mr O’Byrne, was not really cheaper to the consumer, for, in his opinion, the importer of ton made more ont of it than he actually did from the New Zealand timber. It certainly could he produced more cheaply than New Zealand timber, because of the large amount of coolie and cheap foreign labor used in America. It did not possess the durable qualities of New Zealand timber as a rule, however. “ Even if there were likely to be any demand for it America would not let New Zealand timber in,” said Mr O’Byrne, “ and though the importation of American timber throws many of our men out of work, our workers are not allowed to land there im any large numbers, practically the same restrictions being placed on them as on our timber. For what class of locally-milled timber is there the greatest demand? he was asked. Mr O’Byrne said that_ there was a ready demand for white pine, and clean red pine also met with a fair demand. Prices this year, however, were lower generally than was the case last year, and many saw-mills, particularly those engaged in a small way, had difficulty in making ends meet. The placing of a. tariff on foreign timber would certainly remedy matters a great deal, and the New Zealand saw-millers had given an assurance to the Government that they would not let this serve as an opportunity for raising the prices of dominion-grown timber. Rather would the tendency be for prices to fall. Saw-mill workers from Otago and Southland were making for the West Const or the North Island, but conditions were little better there. The outlook for the next twelve months was hlnck, and the approaching winter was likely to he one of the most distressing ever experienced in the saw-milling industry from the point of view' of both employer and worker. Quite a number of mills in Otago and Southland were likely to close down, this in some districts being due to the fact that county courWls would not allow them to cart for four or five months this year, on account of the effect on the roads in wet weather. Last year this was responsible for the closing down of six mills in one district alone, the unemployment market being considerably augmented as a result. “ The livelihood of the saw-miM workers in Otago and Southland is seriously threatened by the large importation of timber from Canada and the United States and to the restrictions imposed on the use_ of New Zealand ordinary building timber by various local authorities ami the State Advances Office,” said Mr O’Byrne, and he added that in the event of no action being taken by the Government m flip Tnntt'pv fh<? Saw-mill Workers Union intended asking the Alliance of Labor to urge the waterside workers not to unload foreign timber.