THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3519, 23 August 1921, Page 52

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

UN FAVO UR A BEE PROSPECTS. HOKITIKA, August 17. The Weslland branch of the Canterbury Progress League carried the following motion last night; That in view of the appalling social conditions existing in Christchurch owing to the shortage of housing accommodation, as disclosed by a deputation from the Ladies’ Social Welfare Guild which waited on the Canterbury Members of Parliament Committee on the 6th inst., and in view of the increasing unemployment in the timber industry on the Coast, the executive of the league urges upon the Board of Trade the advisability of making some pronouncements respecting the prospects of any fluctuation in the price of timber. As disclosed by recent investigations of the cost of production on the G'oast, (he branch considers that the Board of Trade should be asked cither to exercise its powers in readjusting prices of timber, if such are unwarrantably high, or make such pronouncement as would assure prospective builders that some .stability of the value of houses can lie counted upon. In the course of the discussion it was stated that July orders of timber had shown that only 25 per cent, of the normal output was required. It was stated that further unemployment was now beginning to be keenly felt, and that the industry here was only at the beginning of a very severe strain.