THE PRICE OF TIMBER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18075, 27 April 1922, Page 8

THE PRICE OF TIMBER.

POSITION IN CANTERBURY.

SOUTHERN COMPETITION. [BI TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CKRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. In several districts of the Dominion there have been recent reductions in the prices of timber. There seems no great chance of any substantial reductions taking place in Canterbury for some time yet, however. Timber in Southland has declined in price, and fair quantities of Southern timber are now on the market in Christchurch. Indeed, several timber firms in the city are reported to have acquired interests in southern mills. There appears to be a fair amount of undercutting of prices by southern suppliers. Naturally West Coast interests are hardly likely to bo viewing this entry on their market with kindly feelings, so that their probable action is viewed with some degree of anticipation by people in the building trade. The feeling is present that there will be a slight reduction in West Coast timbers before very long. Whether this reduction will be large enough to completely answer the challenge of the southern suppliers is open to doubt. At the end of t'he year it should be possible for timber to be railed direct from the West Coast so that a considerable saving in freight and handling charges should then be; likely. West Coast interests should bo in a much better position then than now to deal with competition. At present many 1 mills on the West Coast are either closed down temporarily or are working short time. It was stated that some of the mills are actually making losses, it being in the long run a more profitable thing for them to keep operating and supply the market than to close down completely. The demand for timber for building is very slack