SPORTED TIMBER

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 23 July 1926, Page 5

SPORTED TIMBER

INCREASED DUTIES WANTED

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS

(BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, July 22. Representatives of the Sawmillers Federation, accompanied by over twenty members of Parliament, waited oil the Minister of this toms (the Hon. Downie Stewart) and the Commissioner of State Forests (Hon. O. J. Hawken), urging that the Government should do something to assist the industry. Both the Ministers stated that the public would not stand high-priced local timber as a result of unreasonable Customs duties. Mr. Stewart said lie had seen cases before in which the most careful inquiries seemed to show there would be no opposition to a duty, but as soon as a duty was proposed in the House of Representatives, protests were received and representation made against it. If the duties were increased guarantees would be forthcoming that no increase would be made in the price of timber, but they were of practically no value, because there was no means of checking every mill and supervising its output. The position in the American industry was such that it was likely tlia.t before long the American mills would either have to curtail their output or put up their prices. He was taking up the whole matter with the Minister of Industries and Commerce, and, if necessary, evidence ■ could be given to the Industries and Commerce Committee in the House.