THE TIMBER COMMISSION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2057, 21 May 1909, Page 5

THE TIMBER COMMISSION

SITTINGS AT WELLINGTON

[Bun Brush Association.]

WELLINGTON) May 20. The Timber Commission began its Wellington sittings this 1 afternoon. This morning several local mills and timber yards were inspected. Henry Brown, Inglewood, Taranaki, sent a sworn affidavit, in which lie stated that indirectly the admission of Oregon pine to Taranaki had been prejudicial to the local timber industry. Clem. Knight, of the Dannovirke Timber Workers’ Union, said his union ■wished to have the duty on Oregon pine considerably increased, or the timber shut out altogether. The mills in his district had suffered severely, and fifteen of them had shut down, or wove working on greatly reduced time. They had each employed 20 hands at 10s a day, paying an average of £3OOO a month. Menl who had been earning £l.l a month were now earning £7 ?3s a month each, where they could get work on the Government roads at Piripiri. To Mr. Field: It was recognised that the slackness was due to the stringency of the money market, but Oregon did a great deal of harm, 'there were over 300 men (mostly married), out of work. There was general distress in liis district due to the mills shutting, down To Air. Barber : There were not many mills working in the Dannovirke district. He had never thought about the matter of one class of workers being penalised by paying more dearly for their houses in consequence of the high prices of timber in order that another class of workers (timber workers) might benefit. The workers were always prepared to pay a fair tiring. Air. Hannan: How do you know that Oregon pine has ruined your trade? Witness: Oregon ha s displaced rimu and matai. What do you base your "opinion on?

Upon what I have gathered from the workers and what I have gathered from the papers. To Air. Jennings: If the present conditions continued, the sawmill hands must leave the Dannovirke" district, a:s there was nothing there for them to do.

To Air. Clarke: If the importation of Oregon pine were stopped mills would resume working straight away. To Air. Arnold: He could not say whether the importation of Oregon had tended to keep down the price of timber here.

Henry Smith, sawmill worker. ,; i Eketahuna." said that Ins null w \s only employing two-thirds of the usuil number of hands, owing to the shortness of< orders caused by Oregon importations. The workers did not think the slackness was due to the stringency of the men w market. For twelve nmnHis past trad" had fallen off considerably. Last month he onlv earned £5. and, so far this month he had onlv eight days’ work. 'The timber industry was dying, principally owing to the competition oi Oregon.

To Air. Field: There were about a hundred men out of work in Ins district, and their position was getting more terrible than ho liked to think about. But for tlie present slump in prices Hu r > \vv ‘or n'ili timber in his district to keep Ike in dm «ry going tor soul;' Years.

To Mr. Levi and : The average yearly svio’fly m "Wellington was about filly million loot, so that the importation of Oregon was only 5 per cent of the total.

Air. Ley land said that merchants had informed him that of the Oregon sold 75 per cent went to replace kauri, so that really the general market was not affected to the extent of 5 per cent., If Oregon could he imported it. would permit of the export of kauri; and for every £1 spent in purchasing Oregon, they would get £2 hack for the exportation of kauri. The witness said that, if he were a wharf laborer, he would ieel inclined to have a fire near some of the stacks of Oregon.