THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 10

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

SLUMP ON THE WEST COAST. UNPROMISING OUTLOOK. (From Our Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, January 8. The outlook for the timber industry on the West Coast at present is very dismal. The mills are closed down for an indefinite period, and- as no orders are on hand for the New Zealand market there is not much prospect of a general resumption 01 operations. There are, however, a few orders from Australia, on hand, and these are now being fulfilled. The unsatisfactory state of the industry occupied some attention at the reception accorded to the Hon. R. M'Kenzie.

Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., in responding to the toast of " The Parliament of New Zealand," said that in regard to the •session just closed there was one matter' which occasioned regret, and that Avas in regard to the timber industry, towards the assistance of which nothing had been done. He trusted that early next session the necessary legislation would be introduced with the object of affording the sawmillers that assistance and protection to which they were justly entitled. He hoped this view of the matter would be urged by Mr M'Kenzie upon his colleagues and that the Ministry would be prepared to legislate immediately on Parliament reassembling. Mr William Morris (chairman of the West Coast Timber Trading Company), also alluded to the subject. He stated that the export last year had fallen to 30 million feet, as compared with 50 million in the previous year. This tremendous dect'-ease was a very serious matter. The transactions of "the West Coast Timber Trading Company were upwards of £54,000 less than in 1908, as the following would show: —I9OB, £lO2 000 • 1909, £48,000. That, remarked Mr Morris, could not fail to have a detrimental effect on the whole district, and the disconcerting part of the business was that the outlook at present was as bad as ever. All they could do would be to hope for an early improvement. He

regretted that nothing whatever had been done last cession to assist the millers.