THE TIMBER COMMISSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 29 March 1909, Page 2

THE TIMBER COMMISSION

EVIDENCE OF A SOUTHERN MILLER. THE COMPETITION OF OREGON PINE. rUNiTED Pbess Association.] INvERCARGILL, Monday. Giving evidence before the Timber Cnmm-ivou, Mr H. Ma._ey, a sawnr'ler and timber merchant, said tliat wages were a little higher than 25 years ago. Thirty-three per cent, of the mills were paving above the award rate Millers had made improvement in plant, but not tc lhe same extent as America and Canada, whe-e they hail an unlimited area of bush, whereas here the bush was limited and inferior. He w;.s inclined to think that Oregon pine had come to stay, which probably would be gcod for the country but not for the -sawmiller.. The freight on 1.000.000 ft. of Baltic pine he obtained wa. _s 6d ;i ICO feet norn Sweden to Dunedin. which was about the same as the freight from Orepuki to Dunedin. If Oregon displaced red pine at Lyttelton the West Coast millers would suffer. Thcrs were about 70 mills in Southland, and 11 in the sotermed Association. Me_.-h.inls were getting the >ame price on the average at Duuedin as seym or cigiit years ago, and at Ohnstchmrh the same as three or four years ago. Hr. did not think that the' timber of Southland would be cut out In six years. It would take more iirie 35 years. At Dunedin the demand had decreased enormously, and prices were coming down and would continue •: > fall. He did nol advocate 1 reductio. 1 of railway freights, becan_e He did not believe they pa ; d the Department now. Conearning afforestation, se-.ing tint it took so mnny years to get milhible timber and that the-e were available su.-h immense areas of Orega.i and Siberian, he thought it would pay the Don inion Hitter to clear the hind, except in such aror.s as grow nothing but trees. He did not think importation of Oregon had much 10 do with '.he d?pression There wero exceptional rciFons why Oregon was s. ihe.ip. including the r-_te wav in the United States.