The Timber Industry.

Southern Cross, Volume 3, Issue 51, 21 March 1896, Page 5

The Timber Industry.

ADDRESS BY MR J. FREYBBRG.

MEETING OF SAWMILLERS.

PRESENT METHODS CONDEMNED. A meeting of sawmill owneis was held in the Prince of Wales Private Hotel on Thursday, 19th inst., for the purpose of hearing an address by Mr J. Freyberg, Government Timber Expert. Mr F. Jack, one of our oldest sawmillers, presided, Mr Freyberg said: Mr Chairman and gentlemen, —It was at the request of the Colonial Treasurer (the Hon. J. G. Ward) that I came to Southland ; and as most of you are aware, I have been incessantly travelling ever since my arrival, gathering data and information respecting the timber industry, with a view of placing it in a more favourable position, and I will endeavour to show you how, in another part of the colony, a depressed branch of the trade has obtained a solid and lasting prosperity. But I must first ask you to bear patiently with me, if 1 point out that everywhere X have seen how your strong ftulers in bush and mill manufacture incredible thousands of feet of timber per month. And I am informed that office hands can and do work far into the night, and deep into the next day, when ordered “ per telephone.” But, why this mad rush ? Why this hot haste P What have you gained by it? We shall see that presently. Successful businesses never were built mp that way. I may be answered, that “ the cost of production ” has been reduced fourpence per hundred feet below that of the West Coast, and two shillings below the North Island. Admit all this, and even »ay you are able to cut a growing tree down in the morning, pass the timber through the mill in the afternoon, and deliver the dripping boards, like an ilj-slaughtered carcase, into the railway truck in the evening, as 1 have often witnessed. Do you think the timber trade of other countries has been built up that way ? Nay, far otherwise. 1 tell you calmly and deliberately that in your mad rush to compete with each other and cut down legitimate profit you turn out

very ill-cut timber. You bave plenty of splendid fellows who could and would show you how to do the work properly if quality, not quantity, were the maxim of your trade. Moreover, the present evil system robs all of you of the just reward of your labour, and the fact must be boldly faced that you are simply being paid a price for the manufactured article that fairly represents the legitimate cost of labour, machinery, and office expenses only, and nothing whatever for the wood. Further than this, you are receiving just one-half what the Russian serf gets in payment for inferior timber worth about one-half of yours, and all this time while you aie doing your best to diminish each other’s profit, Europe stands waiting for colonial timber. Export, pure and simple, is the proper remedy for the present depressed state of the trade. But the timber must not be felled when full of sap or you will bave discoloured, mildewed, partially decayed boards ; splitting in all directions like the shipments recently sent to Europe. You must allow your able men so to control the cutting that the wood shall be a credit to the colony when it arrives in London. It is so painful to have to speak unpleasant truths that I gladly turn up another road. Two years ago the Premier sent me to London to see what could be done. At that time the Kauri Timber Company had lost L 28,352 on the year’s trading (vide their annual report). Half the mills were closed and the remainder working half time; well, no other New Zealand timber being procurable in London the work was carried on enthusiastically for the kauri trade. At first it was dark and disheartening enough, but still, hammering away was successful in the long run and at length dawn appeared. Orders came in and were forwarded to Auckland, Splendidly cut timber arrived and extorted unwilling admiration from an adverse market prepared it possible to block the way. The next year’s balance sheet of the Kauri Timber Company showed an improvement of L 24,000. The Melbourne men took all the credit! but that is merely an unimportant detail. And when I was in Auckland recently I saw everywhere the signs of increasing prosperity. All the mills were fully em- ) ployed, some were working day and j night, with the aid of electric light, i

new mills were being erected, and the harbour was full of vessels, carrying timber all over the world. In every mill I visited I saw immense pains were taken with the cutting and preparation of the timber. Quality came first, and, strange to say, quantity was not far behind, because there was no frantic hurry to wear out the men, and they all hf*d short fixed hours of labour. That modern instrument of torture, the telephone, was kept to its proper use in business hours, and was not allowed to worry men unnaturally afterwards. The first step in your upward path is district federation of the trade, as the other sawmillers have done. This combination will utilise the whole of the strength, and enable you to successfully resist undue and unfair opposition, that crushes the life and energy of small millers standing alone. Moreover, by frequently meeting and taking counsel together, prices may be regulated in a just manner, and the fruit of your labours be enjoyed by yourselves not appropriated by others. .Next, see to the shipment of properly cut timber to London ; to be sold under the superintendence of the Agent-General, where the office work will cost you nothing, if the Government provide an able man to look after your interests. A wharf in London is, I understand, to be provided for your timber, and although the Dock Companies on one side of the river have just combined to raise their charges, your ships can go into the Commercial Dock, on the other side of the river, and your timber can be barged to our wharf at a very trifling cost. Thus, with the reduced freight charges I have arranged for you you will be able to compete successfully with any timber-producing country in the world if proper suitable wood is sent, cut as carefully as the Auckland mills are doing. The colonial timber question I have taken deeply to heart, and have given years of the best work of my life, and a large sum of money provided by my family, to advance its prosperity; hence ray earnestness, to say nothing of two years’ wandering and exile. At the close of the meeting a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman and also a similar compliment to Mr Freyberg for his lucid explanation of the present position and prospects of the timber trade. It is likely that a

federation of the sawmilling interest will take place later on in response to the appeal by Mr Freyberg in favourof the adoption of more national methods than those now followed. We may add that MrFreyberg will attend at the Albion Hotel all to-day (Saturday) for the purpose of givingfull details of his proposed plan of benefitting the industry. He leaves on Monday by the Mararoa for Wellington.