THE PRICE OF TIMBER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9214, 18 April 1908, Page 7

THE PRICE OF TIMBER.

fP£B Press Association^ L WELLINGTON, April/?. The high prices of New Zealandtfanbers and the ' upward tendenc^of.to« market have been followed -&*"& heavy importations of Oregon pine; The steamer Den of Ruthven recently, in, Wellington, had five million feet board, much of it for Wellington, while another order of a million feet is onita way from North-west Amenoa to Wellington. In the course of a convera*. tion with a representative of the "Post" a timber merchant expressed his firm belief that the importations would continue. For the part five years, he said, supplies of local:t*mber had been running short, so^mumM that certain lines, such as heart of matai and kauri, were only BUpTsnea conditionally that they could be obtained. "With respect to the suggested removal of the duty on timber,' 1 th» merchant observed, " I consider that : any commodity that becomes a necessity should have no duty placed oil ft at* all. —I would favour an increase at the export duty on kauri. Kauri . Oaß become so valuable in the outside world market that there is no reason , why we should not let it all go if we can import a suitable timber at. » cheaper rate to take its place. 'If people are prepared to pay a high' price for kauri, let them bare it."