H. VALUER.

553

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97. With regard to the destruction of the bush by accidental fires, can you give us any information on that subject. My own opinion is, after going through Waimarino Bush, that it is more liable to destruction from fire than most people are aware of? —I quite agree with you. And large areas have been burnt there. Where there baa been a fire there is every likelihood of another starting in the same place, because of the dry branches. 98. Mr. Field.] You seem to be rather more favourably situated, inasmuch as you have not felt the introduction of Oregon to any extent? —We have felt it in that our Auckland trade has fallen off. 99. Still, you manage to keep up the outputs —Yes, by increasing our stocks. 100. That stock still remains to be sold? —That is so. 101. Speaking of the industry generally, do you think it is in a perilous state?— Yes, I should gay so, seeing that a number of mills are closed down. 102. Do you think that a remedy should come quickly in order to save the mills?—l think so, certainly. We now feel the effect more than hitherto. 103. You said Oregon timber came in when the slump occurred in America : at what time was that?— About twelve months ago, speaking roughly. 104. The return shows that the amount imported into Auckland in 1907 was 5,000 ft., whilst in 1908 I think it was 6,350,000 ft. —that bears out what you said? —Yes, 1 think so.--105! The total importations of Oregon into the colony since the beginning of last year amount to about twenty-four million feet. That, of course, is only a small proportion of the total output of timber, but is it not sufficient to have a very considerable effect on our own timber industry?— Undoubtedly it has. 106. It is not fair to put the amount of importation against the total output and then form an idea as to the effect it will have on us? —No, it is not, because it does not compete with all the timber produced in New Zealand. It only competes with a certain portion of it. 107. Something has been said about duty on logs. Do you not think it is necessary that we should have a duty on logs?— That is my opinion. 108. You think that logs would be imported hero and cut up?—lt is being done now in Australia. 109. You are aware that up to the present time no. logs practically have been imported into the country I—l1 —I understand that is so. 110. It was said yesterday that our timber was given to us to use and not to destroy. Do you agree with that?—l do. 111. Can you give the Commission any idea as to what proportion of our timbers have been destroyed as against and compared with the quantity that has been milled?—l should not like to guess, but it must be a very large proportion. 112. Would you say ten times as much has been destroyed as has been milled?—l should say so, yes. 113. If the present condition of things continues and milling becomes unprofitable, does it not mean that a large amount of our remaining timber will be destroyed?—l think it will go on being destroyed as it has been in the past. 114. You think settlers will probably turn their forests into grass if they cannot sell their timber? —That will be done in the future as in the past. 115. Can you give the Commission any idea of the amount of money expended in labour in milling an acre of hush, say, carrying 20,00(1 ft. to the acre?—l give the proportion of labour at ss. 6d. per hundred feet. 116. If you take it at ss. per hundred feet, that means £50, and if you add the balance of labour expended on it to that, it means another £50, making £100 in all? —Yes. 117. Is it not very desirable indeed that that money siiould be spent in labour—that is, that the miller should go before the settler?— Yes, I think so. 118. If the present state of things continues how long will it be before the industry comes to an end? —You mean how long before the timber is exhausted? 119. Shall we have much left of the industry in ten years' time? —I think it will be as large an industry then as it is now. 120. What about the destruction of timber?— There are very large areas not yet touched. I am speaking of the North Island. 121. With regard to a duty on kauri—you do not know kauri, do you?— Unfortunately, we come into competition with it sometimes, though we do not mill it. 122. Would it be any advantage to the millers in the southern portion of the colony to have a duty on kauri? —No, I think it would be a disadvantage. We already come into competition with it, and that would throw us more into competition with it. 123. Putting a duty on Oregon and therefore to some extent shutting it out—could that possibly mean that we should have to shut our kauri in by putting an export duty on it? —I do not think so. 124. What amount of clear profit do you think your firm, and other reasonable millers would be content with, over and above the cost of output —I mean profit per hundred feet?—l think that any one getting anything over a shilling would be satisfied with it, provided the miller did actually get it, and not get it on paper only. 125. Have you ever refused any orders for big lengths?— No. 126. Do big lengths ever form a very large proportion of the amount of the average order received -for timber?—No, a very small proportion in our case. 1 27. Can you give us any idea what proportion long lengths would be— : say lengths over 30 ft. ? —It would be so small that I could not give you any idea.

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