THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13969, 27 January 1909, Page 7

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

A ROYAL COMMISSION.

CHEAPER RATES WANTED.

[DY telegraph.— PßESS association i

Wellington', Tuesday. Replying lo a deputation of saw-millers today, the Hon. J. A. Millar. Minister for Railways, said that he had been searching throng!', the records and found that for I lie pact 25 years there had been a, const agitation for a reduction of timber rates. He was trying to get details of all the local rates that had been granted, in order to see if a uniform rale could be made. The railways ought to pay, and ho was not in a position to sacrifice any revenue. If any anomaly could be done away with he would be glad to give redreses, but he could nut bring down the freight to a rate that was absolutely unremunerative. The readjustment of the scale made the other day meant a concession of £15.000 per annum. Freights were, be continued, now lower than at any time in the history of the Dominion, and the cost of carriage is higher. It* was not the railways that were at fault, it was tightness of money. It was that which had reduced the, demand for timber. There was no speculative building going on, and if the rate were reduced by 6d per hundred it would not induce building for some time. He did not think he could make any promise seeing that a. Royal Commission would in all probability be set up in the course of a lew days. That Commission would go into the whole question, and all the information in the possession of the Department would lie placed before it. Then it would be able to form a very good idea of what was absolutely necessary to bo done for business it' it required any assistance at all. He hoped he would be able to place something definite before the Commission, and if tho Commission could suggest any method by which the timber industry could lie put on a better footing without the Railway Department sacrificing any of its revenue, ho would be prepared to do what he possibly could to assist them.

As to a duty on Oregon pine, that was a matter of policy, and he could not commit himself on the subject. Ho did not think the people of Now Zealand would allow a prohibitive tariff to be imposed.