H.—24.

4

[j. HENSLEY.

10. You are aware, I suppose, that after a miller lias cut out 200 acres he can apply for another 200 ? —Yes, that is so ; but there are cases where that is not possible. 11. Because other people have already engaged it, I suppose ? —Yes. 12. How do you generally work : do you contract for the bushfelling ?—No, we pay all wages. 13. And you have made out an estimate of what the average cost of the logs at the mill would be ? —We know, of course, in the cost of production what the logging comes to, and what the sawing comes to, and we can take that out and tell pretty well to a halfpenny ; but that is all embodied in the Bs. 6d. In these mills the logging averages from Is. Bd. to 2s. a hundred feet. The mill-sawing would cost from ]s. sd. to Is. 6d. a hundred feet ; the yard-work costs 6d., and the trollying costs another Gd. 14. That is in connection with the logs—in getting the timber to the yards ? —Yes, to the yards; That is sawn timber from the mill to the yards. Then the yard-work costs 6d. a hundred feet to load dii to the trucks. Those items constitute the wages practically, which amount, roughly, to about 7s. 6d., and sometimes more. I have here the wages-sheet [produced]. 15. Have the prices gone up during the last ten or fifteen years : the cost of production ?—Yes, they have gone up very considerably. 16. Can you state how much ? —I could not say exactly. Of course, it has varied from year to year. It has gone up by anything from 50 per cent, during the last ten years. 17. That is in wages ? —Yes. 18. Can you state what the average selling-price of timber was ten years ago ?—We were not in existence ten years ago, and I do not remember, myself ; but I could get the information for you. 19. Regarding the selling-price of timber, we had a printed price-list setting forth the prices of the various sizes of timber ?—This price-list is only a basis on which the prices are gauged ; they are subject to various trade discounts, which reduce the list price very considerably. 20. The price charged all depends on who you sell to ?—Yes. Take, for instance, the Invercargill price-list. The timber delivered in a yard or on the job is 10s. 6d. We allow 5 per cent, off, bringing it down to 10s. But to bring the timber here it costs 2s. Altogether, we get for that timber from 7s. 6d. to 7s. 9d. 21. You get that at the mill ? —Yes, at the mill. 22. Mr. Field.] What is the 2s. for ?—Freight and cartage. 23. Mr. Ell: At the railway-siding, 10s. 6d. ?—Speaking of Invercargill Town, we deliver for 10s. We pay freight and railage, and we really only get from 7s. 6d. to 7s. 9d. at the mill. Of course, the price is correspondingly less for second-class timber. Of course, the price varies according to the town in which the timber is sold and the customer to whom it is sold. We sell timber in Asbburton, and we allow as much as 25 per cent, off the wholesale list. 24. Mr. Leyland.] The price is different ? —Yes, we have to meet the competition at a large port like Timaru, and we allow anything from 25 to 35 per cent, off the 9s. 6d. 25. Mr. Mander.] What for second-class ? —From ss. to 6s. 6d. or 7s. 26. Hon. the Chairman.] In the case of any one taking the risk of sending from Ashburton, Timaru, or Oamaru, would your company load it at the railway here at 7s. 6d. ? —No ; we load it at the mill. We charge our railage from Riverton. We charge, say, a contractor from Ashburton 9s. 6d. wholesale, and we allow a contractor anything from 20 to 25 per cent, off the 9s. 6d. 27. Mr. Leyland.] Delivered at Ashburton ?—No ; of course he pays the railway freight. 28. Mr. Ell.] You charge 9s. 6d. at Riverton ?—Yes, less various trade discounts. 29. Hon. the Chairman.] Is your company in the association ? —Yes. 30. And that would be general ?—This is the price we all stick to. Ido not think that the average we get, taking all our timbers, is more than 9s. to 9s. 6d. for the net selling-price. 31. Mr. Field.] For timber of all classes ? —Totara, matai, and all classes. 32. Hon. the Chairman.] What is the difference between the prices ? —About 4s. difference. Matai is 12s. and totara 16s. 33. Mr. Field.] What class of timber is that ? —First class. 34. Mr. Mander.] That is your selling-price ? —Yes, less trade discounts. That is the basis. All these prices are subject to trade discounts. That is all I can say about the selling-prices. 35. Hon. the Chairman.] Have you anything else you would wish to say ? —I would like to say, about the birch-millers in the Longwood country : The birch in very many areas comprises 25 to 40 per cent, of the whole. That birch or beech is not so saleable as the red-pine, and a large majority of millers, especially in the western district, have to contend with it. The timber has not come into very general use ; the sale is very small; there, is only one grade ; but the production is great. That is a difficulty the birch-millers have to contend with, and it is a very grave one. There arc a few orders for first-class beech or birch ; but practically no orders for second-class or second-grade. It is all clean stuff that is wanted, which reduces the price of this timber very considerably. 36. Mr. Hanan.] When was your company formed ?—1902. 37. What is your nominal capital ?—£5,000. 38. Your paid-up capital ?—£5,000. 39. Have you any objection to stating whether your company has been a payable concern or not ? —Oh, it has been a payable concern. 40. Have you any objection to,say what your dividends have been ? —Well, I would mention it in private. 41. On the whole your company has been a prosperous one?— Not altogether prosperous. I have to look ahead and get bush to feed our plants. 42. lt.has shown a fair interest on the amount invested ? —Yes ; fair. 43. How many timber areas have you not worked out in Southland ? —Two.