CORRESPONDENCE.

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1922, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

TIMBER TRADE, (To the Editor). s ‘ r " there seems to be a great deal ot comment by those engaged in tho timber industry re the alleged slump, | ami, on. all sides, workers are threatI ened with unemployment. I think it would be just as well if the public were , aware of tho following facts. It api pears that there arc plenty of orders j offering to mill owners, and at a fair ■ price, but the mill owners have got so ■ used to war profits that thev do not like parting with any of them, and are not going to 'sacrifice any of them if they can possibly place‘tho sacrifice ;oy the worker. The employers in the I timber industry to-day, with few ex- ; ceptions (those exceptions being the ’ small employers), are out after a wage cut, and; to bring this about, a scare must be created, and they are leaving i no stone unturned to make the scare effective. They squeal about the drop I in price, but do not tell you that every- . thing they use about a mill has droped • ;n price Hom 25 to 50 per cent during the last 12 months. Then without the ‘ Arbitration Court drop of 5/- per week, ; sawmill workers’ wages have easily fall:en 1/- per day during the last 12 i months, through the owners gradually getting the maximum wage down nearer io the minimum. This means a drop 2/- per day, in round figures, in 12 monthsj but it appears they would still like wages lower, which plainly indicates that the workers’ standardof living is nothing compared to their profits. It is plainly up to the owners to lay all their cards on the table, and lot the public see the real position. In fact, the time has more than arrived when the Government should set up an impartial commission to enquire fully into the timber trade; and, if this is done, then I am quite sure that another SOO workers could be found profitable employment on the Coast in the industry. but if the trade is going to be allowed to bo held up by a combine, then, the West Coast, public are going to be made to suffer. I am etc F. TURLEY. 18/8/1922. BIG FIRE. SYDNEY, May 19. A fire destroyed Afessrs Hurley Bros.’ general store at Cudal. The damage is estimated at £lOO,OOO.