DUTY ON TIMBER.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1926, Page 9

DUTY ON TIMBER.

THE REASONS DISCUSSED.

PACIFIC COAST IMPORTATIONS.

“Is the proposed 10 per cent, extra duty to be on imported timber generally or on specific kinds?” asked Mr. Gordon Fraser at last night’s meeting of the council of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. A. F. Sandford thought it was directed against timbers from the Pacific Coast. These affected the local miffing trade.

Mr. T. C. list said water carriage, mass production and other facilities enabled the Americans to compete with New Zealand timbers. Mr. P. E. Stainton asked if it were likely that the duties were part of a move directed against importations from America generally. He mentioned the case of the duty on motor-cars. Mr. J. McNeill: I don’t think so. It is to protect the timber people here. Mr. S. Vickers referred to the waste of limber going on in some mills. This was a very serious matter, because the country needed timber most acutely. Unfortunately the timber people had “got at the Government.” He believed protective duties carried too far were bad. At the rate we were going we would cut out our timber trees; and were we going to keep the duty on imported timber after that? Oregon pine was necessary in the Dominion as we had mo timber to compete with it except the Kauri. Mr. Sandford did not agree that American timbers were better than ours. Heart rimu was a most valuable timber and should be conserved. The classing of timber was not good and we were wasting it as a result. The duties would not effect the price of houses as Oregon was not used extensively in their erection.