SAWMILLING INDUSTRY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10043, 11 January 1909, Page 1

SAWMILLING INDUSTRY.

(Peb Press AssacrATiow.) Christchurch, January 9. With a view of ascertaining the true significance of the Palmerston North telegram to the effect that many of the sawmills in tlie North Island have been closed down indefinitely, « Truth representative waited on Mr Goss (Presidentof the; North Canterbury Timber Merchants' Association), and asked him for an explanation. Mr Goss replied that it was not a question of how the closing down of the mills would affect the local industry, but a question of local industry affecting the mills. The timber trade was slacker now than it had been for four or five years, and there was practically no demand for timber. That was particularly unfortunate at the present time, as owing to the building boom -which occurred some time ago most of the sawmills put in etxi'a plant, and just now, when no timber was required, they were capable of a greater output than previously. The sawmills on the West Coast, which previously sent supplies to Wellington, as well as supplying the local market, besides losing the North Island trade were sending hardly any timber to Lyttelton. As demonstrating this fact, Mr Goss stated that, whereas about 12 months ago some 3,000,000 feet of timber was coming from t-ho West Coast to Lyttelton monthly, the imports last October and November were under 1,000,000 feet each month. The mills on the coast which were working at all were confining their output to half the previous quantity, and, besides discharging half their men were working short time. On being interrogated as to the cause of this slackness, Mr Goss remarked that the chief factor was the stringency of the money market—the result of the financial panic in America. Another very important" cause of the trouble was the flooding of the market with Oregon pine, which could not have come at a more inopportune time. As it was, there was a decided slump, and it naturally followed that outside importations made matters a great deal worse. The right hon. the Prime Minister passed through this city to-day, and a representative of Truth had a brief interview with him. Regarding; the crisis in the sawmilling industry, Sir Joseph stated that Ministers had not had. time to go into the matter, but would do so when they assembled in Wellington shortly. i