THE TIMBER TRADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2403, 19 January 1909, Page 5

THE TIMBER TRADE.

OREGON PINE QUESTION

AN ALLEGED "BOGEY.”

In referring to tlie Oregon pine question, a prominent sawmiller, in a recent conversation with a ‘‘Manawatu Daily Times” reporter, said that he was satisfied this was not the root of the trouble at all. Naturally they felt sore at the pine coming here in subsidised steamers, but there was no idea of its coming when the steamers were subsidised, and it had only come because of the great depression among sawmillers in America and Canada, which would be relieved by a revival of trade in America. Neither the United States nor Canada had timber to spare, and this sending out of Oregon pine all over the world as was acing done at present was pureh- temporary. It was the fashion just-now to blame the Government about it, but if this Government was to blame, the various Australian and other Governments would be blameablo with as much, or as little, justice. The curjious thing*.in connection, with this Oregon pine was,, not that it was coming in and selling at cut rates, below our own timber, but that thov are actually netting more for it than for much superior New Zealand timber. Why was it that architects and others were specifying it? There was room for a good deal of conjecture.

In speaking of New Zealand timbers, the sawmiller said that in several years there had been very little rise in the price of timber received by millers. A sixpenny rise would cover, most of it, but the price of timber to the public bad risen materially. It wtfi the middleman and not the sawmiller who had raised the price of timber, and it had gone up so much that, coupled with hard times, people refrained from building. The tall in wool alone stopped the building or many hundreds of houses, aiul the tightness of money in all directions had made people postpone so much building that the whole trade was affected. The coming of the Oregon was, therefore, only one factor, anti a temnorarv one at that,, and a ccood deal of the talk that was being indulged in was bluff for political purposes. No one regretted more keenly than the sawmiller, Hie necessity for 'Shutting down so many mills, but lie said that at least they should tell the truth as to the situation, and not set up bodies for ulterior purposes.