143

H.—24.

F. W. PETRE.

129. I mean the rough heart—not timber that would be used for dressing purposes? —Oh I It is very good timber indeed. It only wants proper treatment. 130. This is a question that affects the miller, who lias very little trouble in selling his millable timber, but he finds great difficulty in selling his- rough timber. I know that is the experience of a great many millers, and that is my experience, and so if Oregon is allowed to come in it willtake the place of this rough timber?—l do not think so. The Oregon we have had lately was very cheap, and the odds are we shall never get it so cheap again. The Americans will soon discover that they want the Oregon themselves. lam aware that the Oregon will always be used here for special purposes, but the staple timber of the Dominion will be red-pine for ordinary building purposes. 131. I know from my own experience that there are any amount of small cottages being built of Oregon timber in both Wellington and Christchurch? Mr. Barber: None in Wellington. Witness: They will be very good cottages, too. A cargo of Oregon timber came here in the early " eighties," and I used the weatherboards for weatherboarding, and they are as good now as the day they were put up. 132. Mr. Morris.'] I think you were the architect for a church that was built in Greymouth some years ago?— Yes, about twenty years ago. 133. There was a tower built about four years back?— Yes. 134. Do you know what kind of timber was used in the construction of the tower?—l specified for kauri. 135. You do not know, then, that the timbers used were rimu?—No. I specified kauri on purpose to get the lengths. 136. I can assure you that rimu was put in, 60ft, long and 9 in. by 9 in.? —Very good stuff indeed. I did not think we could have got the lengths. 137. That shows you that it is possible to get long lengths in rimu? —No doubt it is possible, but it is not easy. 138. In reply to one witness you said there was a scarcity of houses in Dunedin at the present time. Is that due to the cost of timber?— There is no scarcity of houses; there is a scarcity of building operations. 139. Is that not due to the scarcity of cash? —Very likely. 140. Mr. Mander.] How long does it take to season timber properly, I mean red-pine especially? —I think twelve months would make good timber. 141. Have you any proof that Oregon is cut in the winter-time?— Yes, they cut it in the winter-time, when the snow is on the ground, and it is then sent down the frozen shoots, and as soon as the river is open it is sent to the various mills. 142. Is it not often cut in summer, to be in readiness for the winter? —I do not think so. 143. Hon. the Chairman.'] Referring to miro, it has been stated here that if you cut it in large sizes it will take dry-rot?—l understood the question to be that, if you left it in the logs, not squared into large sizes with the sap taken off, it would rot. It is the soft sap that starts the rotting. George Clark, Builder, sworn and examined. (No. 31.) 1. Hon. the Chairman.] What is your profession, Mr. Clark? —I am a builder. 2. I shall be glad if you will give the Commission some evidence that may assist them in arriving at a conclusion regarding these questions? —Of course, I know the rates I buy timber at, and that is all I can say. Ido not know anything about cutting timber at the mill. 3. I gather, therefore, that you know something about timber as it relates to the consumer?— Yes. 4. Of the middleman's part in the business, and whether he is underpaid or overpaid?—l cannot say. 5. Is he underpaid?—l purchase my timber for 9s. 6d. just now, and I have to pay railage on it. It costs me about 10s. in my own yard. I stock as much as ever I can myself, and it is mostly clean timber for dressing. Anything in the nature of jobbing I have got to get from the mills here, for which I have to pay 13s. 6d., less 10 per cent, trade discount, and 2J per cent, for cash. The same thing applies to timber purchased direct from the mills at 9s. 6d. 6. Do you find that it pays you to purchase direct from the mill and stock it?— Yes. 7. Would it pay you to extend your stock to include building-timber?—l do not know. 8. And season it?— Not ordinary building-timber. The dressed timber we have got to keep. I stock all my dressing-timber for mouldings until it is about half-dry before I mill it. 9. Do you dress it when it is half-dry? —Yes, there is not so much loss in that way. The shrinking of mouldings is so unequal that there is a great deal of loss in that way when it is milled green. 10. Not so much when it is half-dry?—No, not nearly so much, and it makes a much better job. 11. Would it be much more expensive if you allowed it to dry?—lt saves a little. There is a better surface when it is dry. Speaking of West Coast timbers, I have had. a good deal to do with them, and they look all right when they go through green, but the surface rises afterwards. The West Coast rimu is a splendid timber, and is very fine when dressed half-dry. 12. Mr. Field.] Have you any complaint to make about the price charged for timber?—l buy from the timber-yards, and also from the millers. I have complained. I have got several friends in the timber trade, and from conversation with them I am almost certain that there is not a great deal of profit in it. There are a great many contingencies in the timber trade. For instance, a brother-in-law of mine got burned out, and on one or two occasions he lost a boiler which cost him