MEETING OF THE TIMBER TRADE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 74, 26 June 1878, Page 3

MEETING OF THE TIMBER TRADE.

SiSr— Can' yo» inform me how such an important and outside question, as to the best port for the export of timber from this district, came to be discussed at this now celebrated timber meeting at Feilding P Do you think it was premeditated P My own opinion, from the full report! published, leads me to think this question was unexpectedly introduced by the Chairman and Mr.. Cross, and alone supported by them. I can understand Mr Cross trying to do all he could for &c port he resides at, though if- he didi much is yet to be examined ; why tiie Chairman should rapport Wanganui is another matter. I haye no doubt but that he will explain, himself hereafter. I may mention, before proceeding further, that I .am one with the legitimate object of the meeting, viz., the reduction on white pine timber, the intermediate charges, and the nou-charge for unloading when actually not done; but I am at variance with Mr Cross on fevery other point, and X do not regret Tue should have so disadvantagebusly, for, his W)rt f Jiave used the peculiar reasons: lie did, to show how it was adapted, as a depftt for export, but 1 regret he should have gone out of his way to make, whether intentional or sot, most undoubted mi s statement about the Manawatu river. The whole of his lay at the meeting; is characterised by ignorance and want: of knowledge. As the matterwill be fully taken up bythose whose knowledge will have some weight, I will now only, to keep outsiders from being .misled or shaken m the bounden prospenty of this County, expose the ignorance of this advocate for Wanganui. Jftrst, it roust be remembered, Mr " Crpss was introduced by the Chairman to " furnish the meeting with statistics of the Wanganui timber trade/and particularly ag toitg adaptability for being the depot of the export timber trade of the Manawatu district." [The italics m the following sentence a/fe my own.T Thuft.to pjfove the export, ithjhown,

by his statements, that they have never yet exported any tiinbe% but imported a certain quantity, and "had decided to import no more; and to show the demand for firewood,ignores the present source of such supply, and informs the meeting "that the Greymouth coal was now coming into more general use." This is all ho knows. He then has '' learnt from -llie South .that timbeiv would be readily, sold if delivered as cheap as from the Sound." That is not all the question, for it must be reinembercd that the South have old connections m the Sound, and it is not likely these will be broken for the pleasure of buying from Mr Cross, unless he sells cheaper than the Sound. This lie thinks he can do— by getting vessels wanting back. cai'goes to take it cheaper than going away m ballast, and to prove the 'likelihood of their beiug many Buch (those previously being . timber-laden vessels) he informs us that the importing of timber will now cease ; and as he has loarnfc that the freight from the Squad to Lyttolton is' 3s. per 100 feet, ho argues that vessels having to go up from the town, through the Railway Bridge, and theu to load themselves (for, by a proposition of his, this is what they aro to do to save 4d per 100 feet, wharfage) and to^cross the bar, should gladly jump at a 2s 6d per 100 feet freight. He has also learnt (which, when ho begins shipping, he will soon unlearn) that white pine would sell readily at- 8s f.o.b. - ," ,As an exponent of the adaptability of the port, he arcpies that the Railway. Wharf should be exteudetl, and he understands that the Harbour Board intends asking the Govern ujent to concede the right to levy dues thereon. What a mass of contradictions are here put together by any sane man. The adaptability oC the "port is proved ■by want of wharf accommodation, by the [decline o£tue v shipping and by the liability to increased tolls, and tho bar only workable fivo days out of seven. i .As an expert, from information gained, perliaps, from Wanganui officiali ism, he believe?, as tho cost of coals is cheaper by 15s 6d a ton than at Fox ton i (thought the next will show i such will not be the case) that that sum will compensate the Government for ! | taking the timber a longer mileage, up grades— some the steepest m the Colony, and refund four and five-chain curves ? on which, at present, the experience already gained has shown, are required two engines to do tho work of one to Foxton, thereby entailing more than double the cost of coals, besides a double staff of drivers, guards, &c ; and, also, .the enormous wear and tear on the. line and plant. Is this probable P Such is the statement, and such are the statistics produced before the Feilding meeting (honestly extracted from the newspaper reports) by Mr Cross, to prove what the Chairman introduced him to do. I ask any unbiassed person, has he done so P And as I Relieve it will be accepted he has not, and for ray part | I contend he, has proved nothing, we can only thank tho Chairman for disclosing thus clumsily the intention shown, and to Mr Cross for the part he has had m the disclosure. Mr Cross's other remarks re the river, are too absurd now to touch ujjon, but they hare the advantage of proving, by offering further evidence, the stupidity and audaciousness of the speaker,— l am, &c,, ■..-,-. ...\ .. ;■•■ ."."" ' .■ ' ..j ; Eenest S. THiTsrinß. Foxton, June 24th. - ' j