THE PRICE OF TIMBER

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4306, 15 March 1901, Page 3

THE PRICE OF TIMBER

VIEWS OF A SAWMILLEH. “I do not sec that there is very much cause for complaint. The price of timber in Wellington for ordinary building purposes is 3s lower than in Christchurch. There the charge is 13s or 13s 3d per 100 ft, hero it is 10s.” , Thus a city savvmillor yesterday, speaking to a representative of the “Now Zealand Times” in regard to the grievance of the i.u'lderb. “There is no doubt,” he continued, “that.for a considerable period the bush mibers have I ecu working for their mere bread and butter. The prices have been really too low is afford them a fair profit. Now, timber is getting scarcer, and this niqans that they must go hack further into the bush. This naturally adds to the cost. You must remember that railway freight costs 3s per 100 ft, and when you remember, too, that timber must bo taken ten or twelve miles to a. railway station, as is the case sometimes, yen will sec that the position Is not “so simple as it Looks.” In reply to another ' question, tna stnvnnHer .stated that the price had been raised twice—cncc in September, and again in February. “Is there any likelihood that it will be raised again?”

“I think not. From what I can see, the rates will remain at their present figure for some time.”.

“Is business brisk just now in the timber trader"

“It is, but not so extremely brisk a-, it was at the end of the year. Invariably after the beginning of the year there is a slackness, as people who give orders are anxious to Jiavo them completed before tho holidays, with the result that trade fails off a little. That has been our invariable experience for sonic years. Then, of course, there conics tho natural revival soon again.” Another sawmiller interviewed by a representative of tho “Now Zealand Times” 'complained that some builders followed a practice .of ordering their timber direct from the bush millers, and wore able thus to buy it at a lower rate than if it came through the city yard.?. This he very much objected to. “Wo have to keep up expensive yards, and stacks of timber, and architraves, and all the rest of it, and this undercut ting naturally tells against us. No one could object if these men get their limber from tho bush miller at tho price at which we supply it, but wo do not: like the undercutting of rates.” On the oilier baud, another sawmiller who was spoken to on this subject said that the practice was not followed-exten-sivcly; “and,” ho added, “it is really difficult to sec how, you are going to stop it.”