DUMPING ALLEGED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23364, 2 December 1937, Page 14

DUMPING ALLEGED

TIMBER FROM OVERSEAS SHIPMENT OF JAPANESE OAK (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 1. Suggestions that importers were dumping overseas timber in New Zealand at the expense of the New Zealand timber trade were made by Mr F. L. Turley, of Greymouth, the workers’ agent, at to-day’s Conciliation Council hearing in the timber trades dispute. He said he understood that 1,000,000 feet of timber vras being shipped to New Zealand from North America in the immediate future. Mr G. Cook (employers’ assessor) said he assumed that Mr Turley was referring to timber coming by the Kakapo. This was an accumulation of 18 months’ orders and was being brought down now that tonnage was available which would otherwise have been required for the usual trade to the East. The wood in question was redwood required for joinery purposes in place of totara. It was all ordered in advance, and was not being forced on the consumer. “The freights are low, because the • mugs ’ overseas are killing one another,” said Mr Turley. “ I venture to say that freights have never been dearer than in the case of that cargo now coming,” replied Mr Cook. Mr A. J. Seed, of Wellington (employers’ agent), said that last week a large shipment of Japanese oak, which he personally thought should be debarred from entry into the Dominion, arrived at Wellington. It was imported solely because the public wanted it It was poor, trashy timber at best, but was in demand with buyers for furniture, because the public were always clamouring for oak. " I want to answer the suggestion that importers are forcing overseas timber on the public,” said Mr Seed. “The public are simply being given what they want.”