THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13820, 28 November 1908, Page 4

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Another attempt is being- made to induce the (loveriimenl to assist the timber industry, either by the imposition of a higher duty on imported timber, or by reducing 1 the railway charges on the Dominion lines. It will be noticed that when a deputation waited on the Prime Minister yesterday it was stated by one speaker that between four and five hundred men are out of work in the Tailiape district through the closing of sawmills, and by another that the loss of wages has now reached £1500 per month. These statements can hardly be reconciled, though we may assume that the former is approximately correct. In dealing with this subject it is well that it should be understood why the sawmills are not working up to or near their full capacity. The contention of those who ask for heavier import duties is that the importation of Oregon timber at low rates is responsible, and it no do\ibt is in a measure, though a general slackness in the building trade throughout the Dominion is probably a greater factor. The latest authentic information as to the output of timber is from the Year-Book just issued, which states that in 1906 the sawmills of the Dominion put out 336,470,- ! 930 ft. of sawn timber, of which T0, 528,899ft, was exported, leaving 260,942,031 ft. for home consumption. This latter quantity is just about equal to the total output of the mills in 1900, when the exports totalled over seventy million superficial feet, leaving about 190 million feet for home consumption. Considering the general slackness of the building trade during the last year or so we are inclined to think that the mills have been putting out more than the market could absorb, and that the chief reason for unemployment may be looked for in that direction. We have no exact, information at hand relating to the imports of timber during the last twelve months, but last year the quantity of sawn timber imported was about sixteen million superficial feet. Now the question is whether that comparatively small importation has seriously injured the local sawmilling industry. We doubt it, because in 1905 there was imported over eleven million feet of sawn timber and we did not then hear an outcry for higher duties on Oregon pine. Trade was brisk then and the mills were disposing of their output fairly readily. Assuming, however, that the local industry has suffered by this competition Ihere siill remains th^ question whether higher duties" are war-

muted. ( )iu> lM'iubi'r of tin* deputation who waited on Sir .JoHepli Ward said tliat Oregon pim> j K lauded in New Zealand at JOs Txl net per hundred feet, and prol>al)ly tins is :» lower rate than the Dominion mills can put their product on I lie m;uk«'l for. Itut this elieap Un>n<>ii pine is not likely to l>e supplied for loiifj; 1 . Cij'euinslinices in Can.ula and (lie I'nited Stales have e<»nilsined to compel lunili-.Tmcii to <r<*t rid oi their surplus limber overseas, but it is believed that this necessity is be j lift* removed and t|iat not much more limher will be "dumped" on this and other markets. If that is so there will be no necessity to place an import duty on timber, for the imports will fall away naturally. On the other hand the doubling of the present duty will enable sawmillers to add two shillin/ys per 100 ft. to their sell in g" price, and tliat will seriously penalise consumers. If imported Oregon timber undersells the local millers it follows that the latter may raise their prices in proportion as the imported timber is taxed. As shown above the home consumption of timber in 1006 was 2G'C million i'^ei, and if the millers, a.*a result of a protective duty, wer« able to raise their prices only }• shilling* per 100 ft., the pu bin would have to pay £130,000 i> i year in order to keep a few hundred men at work at the industry. ' Sir Joseph Ward intimated that he would endeavour to assist tWj millers by reducing* the railway! fi eights on timber, but it is open to question whether these are not j already as low as is justified whei the actual cost of carriage to tlu Department is considered. There is yet another feature of the T>usi- ! ness, and a very important one, too. The Dominion is, according to experts, within measurable distance of the exhaustion of its timber resources. There is every prospect that in five 'and twenty years much higher, prices .will have to be paid for timber ami that it will be difficult to obtain sufficient for requirements. Yet with that in front of us we appeal to be using every effort to get rid of what is left as quickly as possible, an'tl at the same time are trying to prevent other parts oi the world' from sharing with us their present abundance of timber. In a quarter of a century America will not be able to spare much timber for Xew Zealand at any price and certainly will not "dump" it here at a loss. Under these circumstances it would be wise for us to conserve what we have left, cutting no more than is necessary to carry on with, instead of encouraging millers, by low freights and high import duties, to cut out the forest as rapidly as possible. There is plenty of employment in othei directions, so the fact that a few hundred men have been turned off from sawmills need not cause us to apply a remedy which i« not .economical^- sound. In th© Magistrate's Court this morning a first offender, who failed to appear, was convicted of drunkenness and fined os, in default 21 hours' imprinsomnent. A spring cleaning of the local members of the legal profession has apparently been started. Last evening no less than six of them were to be aeen in the municipal swimming baths at the same time. Probate of the will of the late Mr. Cunningham was granted by His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards to Messrs E. Cunningham and W. F. Brooking, the executors and trustees, on Tuesday last, on the motion of Mr. Kerr. To-day's issue of the Budget contains the results of the second ballot, a full report of the Taranaki Agricultural Society's Annual Show, and a full account of the sale of Jersey stock on account of Messrs. Griffiths and Cornwall, with a list of buyers and prices. The Ihidgot contains the work's news in a handy form for posting to friends abroad. Mr. H. Okey, M.P., has received the following kind and thoughtful telegram from Mr. MeNab : — "1 desire to say farewell to you as a member of the House and in doing so wish to convey to you my thanks for the assistance you have been to me and for the friendly relations which have existed between us throughout my term of office. lam leaving this afternoon for Sydney before returning to my private work in the Dominion. Kia Ora." The New Plymouth Gas Company has just fitted to Hooker's No 2 sample room a "Telephos" (patent) distance gas lighter. This is a new invention especially adopted for offices and bedrooms, as it does away Avith the use of matches entirely. It is exactly similar in its working to the electric light, a push switch being requisitioned and ordinary electric bell wire can be used for the connection from the switch to the burner. By pressing the push switch the gas is instantaneously turned on and ignited, and in the same way the light is put out. The "Telephos" is a very simple little apparatus and can be fixed by anyone.

Tho Mnkitika Harbour Board is usking the ratepayer*' authority to raise a loan nl I'2-j,(X)O.

Tin* Rate money sit the hliow on Wednesday and I hursday last totalled C 17.1 for both days. It huh climated tlisit there were over (5(100 people present <>n Thursday (People's I'fny).

Spenkiii" sit WaiUoiliiitl before tl.o •econd tnilint, Mr \<). (1. Allen s« id tli.it "Mr M( Xsih jioier upprov/id nl the dairy regulations and hud voY.v littlw tt> no w ii ii them, iiiml Mr Giiruth never saw them." They must hsive boon the wni'U ol tlie nfiicc hoy.

At the weight-guessing competition in connection with tho recent Agrieultiunl Show some very close figures were n corded. 'I lie correi I weight of the three sheep was i£oo lbs. No one gues.sod the exact figure, but for the tirM prize Mrs Bishop (with '201 lbs) and Messrs A. Robertson (U)W lbs) and S. L. Street (liJ<) llm) tied. Although these figures were very olom\, other aspirants ranged from Y.V2 to ;tf)B lbs.

To-morrow- being the "Annual Tempera nco Sunday, " tho international Order of Good Templars will attend the Gospel Temperance Service in the Baptist Church at 7 p.m. Preacher, Hey. John Laird. <r6o

The services sit the (Jucon Street Primitive McthodUt Church to-mor-row will b<- conducted in iho morning by Rev. H. Sharp, and in ihe evening by Rev. J. Guy. At Fitaroy Mr Knbiaii will preach iti the morning und Rev. Jl. Sharp in the evening. —Advt.

The services in Whiteley Church tomorrow will b<> conducted by the Rev. M. J. Ililder in the morning, and by the Key. T. {'„ Brooke sit night. At the latter service Mr Brooke will take as his subject ''The Story of the Reohabites," it being Temperance Sunday. Strangers are coidinllv invited. — Advt.