THE TIMBER COMMISSION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 3 April 1909, Page 4

THE TIMBER COMMISSION.

EVIDENCE AT DUNEDIN. [United Pbess Association.] DUNEDIN, Thursday. Before the Timber Commission Mr Gabriel Hodges, builder and contractor, said he was in favour of Oregon and other foreign timber being admitted duty free. Oregon and. ..Australian hardwood filled a much-fc?!t want. Prices for timbei in general in Dunedin had , advanced of lata years, but still compared favourably with prices ruling in other centres. The price of | timber affected the number of buildings being erected, especially as regarded^ building of a speculative nature. Oregon and Australian hardwood supplied a want that it was impossible to fill with any native timber. They gave better lengths and bigger sizes, and were better seasoned and easier to handle, and retained . their size and shape better than any local timber. Builders put in unseasoned timber because they could not get seasoned. 'Tbe extra cost of timber now as compared with some years ago was principally for dressed timber, such as linings, ceilings, mouldings, etc. He understood that there was a combination among timber merchants in Dunedin to keep up prices. There was a fixed price list. He did not think forest plantations would provide a. duplication of the native timber. It would provide another timber of some commercial value, but not as good. Mr H. V. Haddock, manage- for Murdoch and Ccmpany, timber merchants, said that the importation cf timber made very little differ3nce to Southland and other sawmills. More Oregon had come to the mill during the last two or tnree months than in the paH Blue gum and blaok pine i'ad given way :.r> concrete f..r piles, and there was not the same necessity for impjrting hardwood ds there had been. There had been no revision of prices except as to Baltic aud Oregon pine. Dunedin prices wer? fixed at Invercargill, The railway freights were reasonable, and it would not make any difference to him whether the duty was taken off or put on imported timber. He thought it was desirable to conserve our forests to some extent. Ten years ago timber was 10s, with 5 per cent, discount ; now it was 13s, with 10 per cent, discount. The expense of getting timber was a great deal less ie tne past than now. Mr A. N. M'Callum, sawmiller and timber merchant, advocated a duty on all sizes of Oregon pine. Timber might be brought from such places as -Colac Bay and the West Coast by vessels at less price than they were now paying. The timber business was not as payable as it was ten years ago. Oregon was not likely to reduce tfi.-. cost of New Zealand timber. Friday. At to-a>y's sitting of the Timber Commission, Mr Edwin Broad, manager of the Dunedin Timber Company, said that Dunedin timber merchants had to compel? : with Southland sawmillers, and al- . though the price of red pine was'l3s 5d a 100 Feet, less discount, they had to sell it ai lis 6d to compete with Southland. Ten years ago the price was 10s. To Mr Arnold : He kn w of no threat by the Southland Sawmillers' Association to prohibit any of their mills to supi ply his or any firm dealing with outside iaills. He did not think unrestricted , importation of timber would greatly stimulate the building trade. As a timber merchant, witness was not particular whether the duty on Oiv-gon was removed or not, but for the welfare of the community he would like to see it retained. Witness paid 19s for kauri at Auckland, sold it at Dunedin for 325, less discount. The difference was duo |to the freight, harbour dues, cartage, 1 and waste in cutting it up. | To Mr Field : If merchants charged ! 25s per cent additional on what they paid for New Zealand timber It would rover freight, the payment of men, rates, and taxes, etc., and leave a margin of profit, but a very small margin indeed.