SAWMILLING IN AMERICA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2373, 14 December 1908, Page 5

SAWMILLING IN AMERICA.

COMPARED WITH NEW ZEALAND. Mr. W. Butler, a sawmiller of tlie West Coast, who lias just returned from a visit to America, where he studied the conditions of the sawmilling industry - from May to September, gives aii interesting account- of the advantages which American millers enjoy, as compared with their New Zealand brethren. In the first place, he said, they had only a nominal taxation to pay, both at the mills and in the bush. An American miller could lease a square mile of timber land for 21 years at 140 dollars (£2S) a year and have no rates or taxes to pay. He could take up any number of blocks on these conditions. In New Zealand the Tongariro Timber Company recently purchased 40,000 acres of timber from the Maoris at £lO an acre—£64oo asquare mile. At Vancouver Mr. Butler saw Japanese and coolies actually engaged in working timber for New Zealand. Seventy-five per cent of labor in all the Vancouver mills was colored, and Mr. Butler saw one large mill, ill which 100 men were employed, of whom only two were Europeans. At Portland and Seattle there was less colored labor, but cheap Italian labor was employed. When a deputation waited on the Prime Minister and the Minister for Marine some weeks ago the Hon. J. A. Millar read a return of the average wages paid in this country, lie did not have the figures for the mills, but said be was cabling for them, and would inform tlie New Zealand inillers, who have, however, received no further information from him. Mr. Butler states that the reason why the average rate works out so high is that a few hustlers who have to make the pace in each mill are paid almost phenomenal wages. In one mill, for example, a sawyer was getting seven dollars a day, but- these were special men. who had to earn their money, and the rest were very poorly paid. In the mill last mentioned it cost only Is 2d per 100 ft to cut, dress, and put timber through the dry kiln and on to trucks. I'he hours of labor were everywhere 10 hours a day. Tlie truck svstem was rampant. Another advantage which the American millers had was that their forests were practically inexhaustible, and they could work on a much larger scale. The milling life of a New Zealand bush was over in eight years. It was argued that the duty on Oregon timber should be practically doubled, a dimension tariff being arranged, the same as is levied on New Zealand kauri and white pine for export. The duty should be tlie lieavieston tlie smaller’sizes, since for the importation of large sizes there is actual need, and when cutting up is necessary it can be done by New Zealand labor. The timber that is beiug sent here, Mr. Butler states, is not the whole product of the log. It is an inferior quality, which the American millers cannot help producing, and while they have a market for their better quality at home they will continue to export this. To that extent the trade in Oregon, he contends, is nothing more nor less than dumping.