THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1929. THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20832, 26 September 1929, Page 8

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1929. THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

The Timber Industrial Efficiency Bill will not be making its first appearance in Parliament if it comes, before the House this session. It was read a first time in the last Parliament on the closing day of the session of 1928, when it was explained that the measure had been drawn up by the Sawmillers’ Federation and handed to the Government which, considering that it contained some valuable suggestions, had decided , on its introduction, not with any intention of immediately passing it, but with a view of placing it before the country The country has probably found rather too many distractions since then to permit of its exhibiting deep interest in these projected legislative proposals or of giving them serious consideration. The main feature of the Bill consists in the provision for the creation of a Board mainly representative of, and wholly financed by, the sawmillers, which would have authority to make such arrangements and give such directions as it should think fit to ensure greater efficiency in the milling and marketing of timber. One of the important matters specified as coming under: its authority would be the establishment of a uniform grading of timber^ and a uniform costing system. Tjie proposed composition of the Board invites attention. The fact that it would include two Government representatives in Us personnel, in that respect bearing some resemblance to boards,that are already in existence for the control of exports of meat and dairy produce, exposes it to criticism on the ground that it symbolises, to some extent, interference by the Government in private enterprise—a procedure to which industry in general, the timber industry not excluded, has declared itself, opposed. This proposal for Government representation on the suggested Sawmillers’ Board is certainly open to logical objection. 1 It is probable, also, that the functions that are proposed for the Board ax-e not of a kind that will escape objection. Opposition may, for instance, be expected from the timber merchants. For the Board would be empowered, in the establishment of a uniform grading of timber, to deal with a question which represents the crux of a controversy between the sawmillers and the timber merchants. Apart altogether from the merits of the controversy, the idea that a Board representative of the sawmillers only should

be empowered to establish rules for grading, without reference to other interests in the timber industry, must appear to be open to criticism. Were the sawmillers the only party concerned the case would be different. Already, however,- they possess their organisation for the purpose of watching over their own interests and negotiating with other interested parties in the industry. It may, therefore, be regarded as doubtful whether they are in need of legislation to place them on an equitable footing in the industry. The mere fact that they are seeking legislation seems bound to create antagonism on the part of other interests concerned, since it will no doubt be held by these interests that, if the Bill were passed, the effect would be unduly to strengthen the hand of 'the sawmillers and supply them with a lover wherewith, under the plea of the promotion of efficiency, to exercise in matters affecting the industry a degree of control that might be unsatisfactory to the timber merchants and be regarded by. them as prejudicial to them.

PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE. The new Standing Orders of the House of Representatives arc not meeting very satisfactorily the test of actual experience. ; The Prime Minister would seem to have expected more from them than he is reasonably entitled to do. The suspension of them on Tuesday night in order that the House might sit late for the consideration of the Estimates' involved, indeed, an admission that they have failed to yield the results which sanguine advocates of their adoption anticipated. This is, however, not very surprising. It is one thing*to declare.'that the House shall rise at a certain hour each night, but it is another thing tq declare that members shall forfeit their right to- speak and that, consequently, discussion shall be curbed in order that the House may complete a certain programme ,of business before- the closing hour , has arrived. The House has exhibited a great deal of consideration to the Prime Minister this session. Of this he has shown less appreciation than might have been looked for when he has rebuked the House for not making speedier progress with the business before it. It is true that there has never been a session in which there was a greater waste of time than this session. This is, however, due to the fact that when Parliament met the Government was not prepared with its proposals and that the debates on the Address-in-Eeply and the budget were deliberately protracted in order that it might have time to frame, its measures. There is an element of unreasonableness in the request to the House, after it has “ marked time ” for more than two months to suit the convenience of the Government, that it should deny itself the opportunity of discussing the Estimates adequately.

The,6ity Council decided last night-to refer the applications for the position of city organist to the Finance Committee for, a report. . A .first offender who was .charged with drunkenrvess at the City Police Court yesterday morning was ifined 20s, in default 48 hours’ imprisonment. The condition of the prisoner John Buckley, who was shot by a warder when trying to escape from the Mount Eden Prison, last Friday, end,is now in hospital, was stated yesterday to show a slight improvement (states a Press Association telegram from Auckland), It fs now expected that he will completely recover. Claiming to be the Deity and declaring that, he was going to give all hia money to the poor, a well-dressed man, aged about 23, accosted several of the women who were collecting for St. Saviour’s Orphanages in. Christchurch Vesterday morning (says cnir special correspondent), and filled their boxes with- fl notes. He had £2O in single notes, and when he had given these away he announced his intention of going to the Poet Office: Savings Bank and drawing the rest of his worldly wealth for the purpose of bestowing it upon the orphanages. By that time suspicions were aroused, and the young man, who was subsequently declared insane by a doctor, was taken into custody. The women who got the money are wondering whether they .will have to disgorge it or whether the orphanages will benefit.

There was a general easing of values at the Burnside stock sales yesterday,, both fat sheep and fat cattle being cheaper, and pigs showing a slight decrease oh last week’s rates. The entry of fat cattle numbered 260 head, the bulk of which’were good handiweight beef. There was a shortage of good cows and prime heifers. The sale commenced with values about £1 below late rates, but after the first races had been disposed of there was a firming. In the latter stages of the sale, however, prices fell back again. The best prime heavy bullocks made to £25, and good primes from £lB to £22. Prime heavy cows and good heifers were worth £ls to. £lB. There was a small entry of good quality store cattle, which met with la keen demand and satisfactory prices. The fat sheep penning numbered 2371 head, included in which were many good prime heavy wethers. The proportion of medium sorts was very heavy. There was little life in the sale from the commencement. Early in the sale it was seen that prime heavy sorts were from 3s to 4s cheaper, while ewes and medium weights fell 'by from Is to 2s. There was no recovery later in the sale. - The best wethers made to 565, and good primes from 40s to 455. Medium and lights ranged from 28s to 38s. Extra heavy prime ewes made up to 43e Cd, prime from 33s to 375, and medium* and lights from 22s to 325. The entry of new season’s lambs was confined to two. the prices received being 41s and 48s Id, a distinct improvement on Inst week’s rntee. There was a medium entry of fat pigs, and prices were in favour of buyers, but there was a good demand for Store pigs.

Provincial and Dominion records in-the export of eggs will be established the despatch for England by the Rotorua on October 7 of 750' cases, or 22,500 dozen eggs, from Auckland (reports our special correspondent), and over 3000 cases from the whole of New Zealand. The shipment will be the first this season from Auckland, and the second from New Zealand, a consignment of between 1200 and 1800 cases from Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington having been sent by the Rimntaka from Wellington last week. The previous highest individual shipment from New Zealand was that of 2480 cases exported from the South Island by the lonic in October of last year. An award of £2OO to the officers and crew of the Southern Cross, the mission vessel, has ■ been made by Lloyd’s, as a sequel to the mishap at Norfolk Island, where, under very trying conditions, a jury rudder was rigged to bring the vessel back to Auckland. Out of the total (says a Press Association telegram from Auckland) £75 goes to Mr J.- W. Jones, chief officer, who dived and fastened cables to the rudder. The underwriters have also awarded £ISOO on the mission authorities’ insurance claim of £1547,

The Dunedin Chamber, of Commerce has arranged that representatives' from itself, the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association, the Otago fruitgrowers’ Association, and the Otago Expansion League shall go to Wellington to give evidence before the Industries Committee of ‘ the Lower House, on Tuesday nest, relative to the itinerary of the Government steamer Maui Pomare. • The Invercargill Chamber of Commerce has associated itself with the Dunedin Chamber in its protest against any proposal to discontinue the coming of the Maui Pomare to Dunedin, and it is proposed that representatives of the Invercargill Chamber, .the Southland Progress League, and the Southland Fruitgrowers shall also give evidence before the Industries Committee.

The Minister of Justice (Mr T. M. Wilford) received a deputation yesterday from the National Council of Women, asking for the appointment of women police (says a Press Association telegram). - The Minister said the deputation had not caused him to-change his mind. He wae in favour of women patrols-rather than women police.

Fress Association message from Wellington states that the visit paid by Lady Alice Fergusson and a party to the bird sanctuary on Kapitj Island showed eheering signs of a revival of native vegetation, following the destruction of the goats and pigs. Mr Wilkinson, the officer in charge, hoping by planting native trees and shrubs. The birds are increasing and becoming tame enough to feed out of the hand. This was her, Excellency’s third land last visit to. a spot in which she has always taken. the keenest interest, and the opportunity was seized to secure a number of photos and sketches.

_At a meeting of the Port Chalmers hire Board last- night a report was received from the secretary, of the brigade, stating that some of - the committees in charge of bazaars, etc., had lately omitted to apply for the-attendance-of a fireman at public gatherings. It was necessary that, a fireman. should Bb present in <;ase of possible fire. In future, if the brigade were not notified a fireman would be sent to the public hall in which the gathering was ’ held, and his services would' be charged for. The board decided to empower the brigade to make the charge in such cases. ' '

At a meeting of the Dairy. Board a cablegram from London was . read. ' The message, (says a Press. Association telegram from Wellington) stated that Mr Singleton (director of the dairy- division), who had now left London, had made an exhaustive examination of the.cheese stores, and had expressed satisfaction with the conditions ruling, 'Satisfactory storage contracts had been negotiated in Brigtol. The actual Sales-of butter samples for ( the financial year ended July 31 were £235,828, compared with £100,189 last. year. . - ■ - ,

Emerson remarks tha£ a good voice has a charm.ih speech as well as in song,” said. Mr J, A, Hanan, M.L.C., in giving some useful advice., to members of the Victoria University College Debating So-' ciety on Saturday night, when the annual contest for the Plunket medal for oratory was held. He went- on to say that, the voice revealed .character, and was the expression of . inward or internal feeling. He. believed that the aim of elocutionary training should to awaken the internal feeling first, not the External ; signs of* the mental states, such as gestures, tones of speech, and-inflections of-the voice. No person coujd be classed as an orator who did not possess a distinct and deliberate articulation, a voice of good compass, resonance,, and power, flexible and responsive to feeling. To these dualities 1 must be added a correct pronunciation, accent, emphasis, and the various expre£ sions of emotions and passions. It was true to say : that the speaker, who controlled, emotions and. passions controlled men. Where there was no feeling the effort was weak. wereeoloured by the feeling thatprompted; them. Unless a speaker gained the heart he gained, but little. Thej pwertof-‘persuasion was essential to a speaker, and many failed because _they lacked sufficient evidence of sincerity and. earnestness'to'convince their audiences. Clearness, force, 'and earnestness were basic qualities. An energetic or arresting speaker commanded attention. There were speakers .?whose delivery was good, and their matter excellent, but they lacked the mystical power of personal magnetism. The more'a speaker understood what he was saying, and the more interest he felt in what he said the better he would speak, and the more likely he would reach the minds of others, concluded Mr Hanan.

The large grocery, establishments in Christchurch do not intend to follow the example. of similar businesses in Sydney and Melbourne and go back to horses, lor« delivery work. "In my opinion, it would be a retrograde-step,” said one manager when interviewed , by a Christchurch Times reporter.' The manager of probably the first firm to - employ motor vehicles in Christchurch, about 20 years ago, said: "They gave us a lot of trouble in those early days, what with our being unable to get spare parts anil so on, but the modern vehicle has reached such a sta'ge of reliability and can carry out the work so speedily that I don’t think there, i« any likelihood of horses again,” This firm got 'rid of their last horse about eight years ago. The, proprietor of another leading grocery business said he had not in any way Contemplated reverting to horse delivery. His firm was quite satisfied with motors. On the othef hand, the Xew Zealand Express Company is still finding a use for horses for shortdistance work. The manager, Mr T. S. J \ oung, said that ■ although the company’s Christchurch branch wasusiug a fleet of motors it. still had almost the'same number of horses as ever. He said that their horse team at present was 22, and he did hot think it, had ever exceeded 30.- One way in which horses.had an .advantage frotn the economical point of, view was that they d;d. not cost a great deal .when not working, and could be grazed, in paddocks quite handy to town.' Motor lorries, however, had to pay license fees as high as £75 per vehicle, and this and other heavy overhead expenses still ran on, work or ho work. '

Inquiries which have been made in the noith indicate that the big game Ashing season of 1929-30 . is likely to eclipse all records. Such ar e the prospects that a number of new launches are* either finished or are in the final stages of completion for the Bay of Islands fleet. These launches have to be specially constructed on staunch, safe lines, as, in addition to the rough weather that is occasionally encountered by them well out to sea. there is the strain brought about in the playing of swordfish, black marlins, and ihako 7” ch anything between 100 Wei e ht - Tl >e launch on new of the north arc just as much ininn C B StC TI' n tHe fiSUng as are their Patrons. They present trophies for eonipetit.on tannuany. • T, :iß } - ear thoy tronhv ' St by , offerin S a valuable trophj for the angler who lands the season StnpCd marHn durine tlle e ' omJn E

from EnsialKl (states the Dominion), a recent visitor to Weihngton, who was greatly charmed with 1 0 V Zealand, was commenting on matters domestic, when he wrote:: “Excentinv that we now have our five and one son .with five sons-in-law nnd one daughter-in-law, actual and prospect™ were *"+l Same as we vexe, though there is a ‘haste to-the wedding air about the household. By the iT'n*’ * j° n ? t that ‘in-law’ expresWhv i t r w deSCriPtlo,, ’ ar,d someSs hj ever invented. The words ‘bv marriage would. I consider, fit the C ase much better, and would not have such a horrible legal flavour. Perhaps you could ventilate this in the press, for. a s “ S once said, Zealand thinks to" ? J the world thinks to-morrow. Get in

It was thought that’the, vigorous campaign against them last year had' cleared the goats from the Ha itake Reserve,' but Mr J. C. Bell, one of the Mount Egmont National Park Board’s honorary rangers, who, was on the ranges -recently, cam® across a mob of 15, which had evidently came across from the Pouakais, whero they abound in hundreds. It. was not difficulty to find evidence of their destrue-, tion; .they had cleaned up the young growth and saplings and barked the biggst trees. la IhcaHties. where ftere-Kad been no goats for a year, said Mr Bell, young growth was showing, and regeneration would only be' a matter of a few : years if the goats could be kept out.

A ship’s rocket, an empty shell, and two small boys at Nelson were responsible for - a startling occurrence in- Seymour avenue yesterday afternoon (says a Press 'Association telegram). It was only by the merest chance that a tragedy was averted. The two la*ds, aged about 13, burled an empty shell—a whizzbang—in -which was inserted a ship’s rocket. The rocket exploded with' a noise that was heard a' mile away, and ; the shell burst into a dozen-fragments, . some of them being an inch in length and about'half an inch in thickness. The wall of the adjoining, house received the ,full effect of the explosion, several "pieces of shell going right through the wall into a bedroom, which ,had just been vacated by the. occupants. The boys watched fhe proceedings from a neighbouring garage.

Particulars are advertised of an art lecture to be given to-night by the Rev. James Burns- on the subject of " Masterpieces in Architecture, .Sclupture, and Painting.” - ~..

The annual meeting of the Royal Society for the Health; of Women and Children,. which, wag to have been, held to-day, has been indefinitely postponed owing to an unavoidable delay in' the printing.of the'annual report. - ' . At a public demonstration to be held this evening by the Salvation Army the opportunity will b'e taken to bid. an offi- . eial farewell to Commissioner J. Hay, ' commander of, the ; Salvation Army forces m-New Zealand. Get our new season’s FjShing Tackle \ Catalogue. Post free.—Barth Electrical Supplies, 90 Princes street, Dunedin.— Advt.;.

We have just landed a line of English incubator thermometers. Price 3d ' Very reliable. All poultry,- dog, and x cattle medicines kept in r L. Sprosen, Ltd.. chemists, Octagon, Dunedin. —Advt. ■ , ' ■ ; ■ ,

those desirous of having electricity, installed in their bouses should consult, the btewart Electrical Company. 171 Ratttay street. Time payments arranged.' froni 2a 3d a week.— l Advt ,W. V. Sturmer,, GJA.O.C., ■ D.S.O.L, optician. Consulting room, 2 Octagon, Dunedin. Most modern scientific equipment for sight testing.~Advt. A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists. Bank .’ f of Australasia, corner of Bond and* Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office) Telephone 12-359.—Advt. Diamond Engagement - Rings.—Before purchasing compare our values; large selection; superior quality—Peter Dick, the most reliable. jewellers, watchmakers, and opticians, 490 Moray place. Dunedin. Advt. -