THE TIMBER TRADE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3069, 14 December 1908, Page 5

THE TIMBER TRADE.

A CRITICAL POSITION. INVESTIGATIONS OF A WELLINGTON JOURNAL. The attitude of the Prime Minister towards timber merchants in vvellington is construed by those in the business to be. somewhat hostile to them as the sawmi tiers' vis-a vis. In order to remove any misunderstanding that may exist in Sir Joseph Ward's mind as to who has been receiving the profits—the miller or the merchant—a deputation is to wait upon the Prime Minister as soon as he can conveniently meet the merchants. It will be sought to be shown that the much greater part of the profits has gone into the pockets of the miller and his men, and comparatively little into those of the merchant. In course of conversation with a merchant to-day a representative of the "Post" learned that profits of millers—at snyrate the prices of timber at the milling port—have gone up within the last seven and a-half years from 2s 9d to 7s per 100 feet, or over 4s per 100 feet —a rise of 40 per cent SELLING UNDER THE PRICE LIST. The timber trade appears to be in a critical state at present, and its condition is indicated pretty clearly by the estimate that Wellington merchants have made bad debts to the extent of over £5,000 during the past six months. The extremely cautious attitude of the banks, too, has been a facer in the situation that has brought about somethinglike a crisis in the trade. Several merchants have found themseslves with heavy stocks which they could not shift on the merchants' association price list. "Some business could be done, relief could be obtained, jut only at selling under the price list. Some merchants yielded to temptation. They undjrsold, and were fined. Nevertheless penalisation was ineffectual as a preventive. The merchants undersold again, and were fined again. With large stocks immovably at prices current, what was to be done? Fining could' not go on for ever. At last a special meeting of the association was was called, the situation was reviewed, and .finally it was decided to give all merchants in the association greater latitude as to selling certain lines in certain circumstances, —no more, no Jess. One authority assured the "Evening Post" representative that the list was entirely suspended, but that, according to another authority who spoke in a semi-official way, was not the case, the situation being as aforementioned—greater freedom in acepting lower prices for given lines under certain conditions. OREGON TIMBER. An endeavour was made to find out how Oregon timber entered into the question, if at all. It is was learned that this timber was now getting dearer, while red pine was becoming cheaper, and that for the nonce Oregon was a negligible quantity. That dullness overspreads, the milling industry is obvious. Ali Westland mills are closing down a fortnight earlier this Christmas than last, and there is no more definte date given than "sometime after New Year" for their reopening. The same condition of affairs • applies to the North Island mill 3», and some, at least 25 per cent., it is believed, wll not reopen at all. Fully 35 mills on the West Coast will be closed down and, incidentally, it may be mentioned that the white pine market in Australia, which has been a great help in keeping mills going, is now fully supplied for some time to come. WAGES QUESTION. . High wages paid to miil hands were urged by two merchants in behalf of the miller's position. If his prices have gone up 40 per cent., his wages bill has also materially increased, and whereas while 7k to 8 years ago "slabbers" received 7s a day and now 9s, and benchmen 10a and now 14s, the wages show an average increase of 3s per day, so that all the profit has not gone into the pockets of the miller. In the unusually prolonged holiday of the sawmills is seen by some members of the trade a passive resistance to present high wages and a desire to bring labour matters and business matters generally to a head! with a view to a new start to be begun under other and different conditions.