BUILDERS' FEDERATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10606, 31 October 1912, Page 3

BUILDERS' FEDERATION.

CONFERENCE AT DFXKDIN". [Per Piif.bs Association.J DUNEDIN,■ October 31. At tho Builders' Federation conference this morning Mr S. F. Clark (Auckland) made an able ami lucid demonstration of the necessity for the Government inaugurating a continuous policy of .afforestation, not merely experimental. Ho pointed' out that the Government returns as to n decreasing use of timber in proportion to supply were not boron out by fact. In England during tho past forty years the use of timber had increased by 2(X) per cent, whilo the population only increased by 42 per cent, so that science was not doing away with tho necessity for timber. The. conference resolved that a memorial should bo presented to the Government asking that Parliament .should, tako steps to insure a continuous supply of timber within the dominion for future use, and . that the conference should set Tip a committee to collect information as to the kinds of buikMnK timbers best suited for New Zca" id soils and climate, with a view to aiding the Government to-plant such timbers, so that some provision may be made, to meet the threatened scarcity of New Zealand-grown timbers. Ii; was also resolved that further efforts should ho made to secure the reduction of vailway freights on foreign timbers and other building materials. It was stated that the freight on building material

p.ecpssary for construction wr.> Rometimes nearly as much as the cost of tho them.selves, and the duty on foreign timbers was a firoat ta" on fanvioi'3. Sinco the framiu£ of tho i-ail-way tariff a variety of new material had been invented, ar.d the- charge;wore bused on the liui'icst rates, amountina in some c'iso." to M nor cent mor-' thtui similar materials in n different form.