172

[C. E. PAGE.

H.—24.

54. Is it not one of the most valuable timbers we have?—l should say it is the most valuable all-round timber in the world. It can be used for anything. 55. Do you favour an export duty being placed on kauri?—l have not considered the matter. :>(i. As to imported timbers, what is your opinion as to duties? Would you remove the duty or would you put it on?—lt does not matter whether you put it on or take it off. It will be all the same whatever is done. 57. You say it has got to come? —The imported timber here cannot hold its own. 58! Supposing that you encourage Oregon, and it displaces some of our New Zealand timbers in the market, would that not mean a falling-ofi in our railway-earnings, seeing that the carriage of timber is a big item in the way of freight?— Naturally it would. 59. That would not be desirable, in your opinion?—l am only thinking of the timber trade. The duty here and the railway charges added is equivalent to 2s. 4d. per hundred feet. There is 4d. over and above red-pine. You cannot handle Oregon in this country now. GO. You think that as things are at present Oregon is sufficiently handicapped? —I think it is pretty well handicapped just now. 61. Would you say it means to prohibit Oregon timber? —I do not say that, but I say that it is handicapped. If you take Oregon from Christchurch to Culverden there is extra railage to pay on it, and if you add that to the duty there would be a handicap of 3s. Sd., or if you took it to Methven there would be a handicap of 3s. 6d. 62. Would you suggest taldng the duty off Oregon?—lt does not matter to us. I am in the capacity of a merchant. 63. Speaking as a citizen of New Zealand, and knowing what you do about the timber trade and the resources of the Dominion in that direction—although perhaps you may not know all about it—l say, speaking as a citizen, do you think it desirable that we should conserve our New Zealand timbers to meet the needs of the future?—l would certainly not take the duty of Oregon. 1 should leave the duty as it is. 64. Mr. Field.] You are a timber-merohant, Mr. Page?— Yes. 65. You regard your business as a necessary evil. Is it possible for the consumer in all cases to buy direct from the sawmiller? —If they bought direct from the sawmiller they would lose by it, because they would have so much handling and waste. It is necessary to have a distributing centre. 66. Even although you get a greater profit, it pays the consumer?— They buy now from the merchant because they find it more profitable. 67. As to the profits you make, we have had it in other evidence that the profit of a timbermerchant—the price he receives—should be, over and above what he pays for the timber, from 2s. to 3s. 3d. per hundred feet to cover all expenses. Is that too much?—lt depends entirely on the cost of the thing in the first place. 68. Speaking generally?—lf you are selling timber at Bs. or 9s. j t ou would not expect the same profit in it as on timber you were selling for .£1 10s. 69. I am speaking of the ordinary red-pine?—l am sure you want 2s. or more. With 3s. you could make a do of it, because there is a lot of waste and trouble about timber. 70. If you are buying timber which is costing you, say, lls. you are not robbing the public very badly if you are charging 14s. for it? —No, we are not robbing the public at all. We are not here to rob the public. Competition regulates that. 71. We were told this morning that you timber-merchants charge 2s. 6d. per hundred feet for stock in seasoning?— That is wrong. We charge 2s. per hundred feet for stripped timber. I think that when money is invested for a length of time in timber for seasoning and drying purposes it is worth 2s. per hundred. 72. Two shillings, not 2s. 6d. ?—Yes, 2s. Then there is the labour on it. 73. In regard to this question of seasoning, do you think that a man should be compelled to season timber whether he wants to or not? I just want your opinion in the matter?—lt would be very foolish to try and do that. 74. Do you find people using unseasoned timber? —They see that it is properly seasoned in this part of the world. 75. As to the framing?—lt is pretty well seasoned before it is covered in. It is usually thoroughly dried before it leaves the timber-yard. 76. You think it is unnecessary to have legislation?—l think the people in Christchurch can look after themselves. They are now well catered for. 77. I suppose you get no timber here from the North?—We get kauri, but very little ordinary building-timber. We did not find it satisfactory. A lot of it was dozy. 78. There is another element of cost in your operations, particularly in the case of our New Zealand timbers : Is it not a fact that while stacked in the yard they go off very much in quality 1 —You lose the top boards in every stack. 79. If your boards are stacked close together, what happens in three months?— You have to dig them out with a spade. 80. You cannot give us any opinion on this question of our timber-supply at all?—No, I know nothing about that. 81. About the quality of the timber that you get here, what proportion of the timber received into your yard is subsequently found to be absolutely unfit for building purposes?— When we get timber of that kind in our yard we send it away for pigsties. 82. What proportion is there of that timber? —Very small. 83. Is it not due to that fact that it is necessary to have Oregon timber?—No, certainly not. 84. You were speaking of yourself. Speaking generally, are there large sums of money made in the business here? —I do not know other people's business. The money has not come my way.