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W. A. JEWELL.]

57. Mr. Jennings.\ What is your opinion so far as labour is concerned? Do the apprentices and the journeymen show the same desire to turn out good work that they did ten or twelve years a g o l —That is hardly going back far enough, to my mind. 58. Say, twenty-five years ago?— No. The trouble is that in those days the master took great pride in saying that a lad served his time with him, while now it is immaterial; he does not care for the journeyman to waste his time showing the lad how to cut a dovetail or make a joint, and he cannot afford the time himself. The consequence is that the lads go to the Technical School, where they are supposed to learn their trade, instead of the bosses teaching them, as it used to be. 59. I take it you are a New-Zealander ?—I have been forty-seven years here, and am pretty well a New-Zealander. 60. Do you think that the deterioration or want of interest in the work is due more to machinery than to the individual? —That has been a great cause. 61. Would you prefer to use the local timbers that are suitable for your own particular industry rather than foreign timbers, at a fair rate ?—No, I would not say that. 62. Mr. Field] You are a joiner, are you not?—A cabinetmaker. I make shop and office fittings and cabinet-work. 63. You do not profess to know as much about the respective merits of building-timber as the ordinary builder, I suppose ?—No. 64. Do you know anything about Oregon pine and rimu ?—Yes, I know something about that. 65. You say that Oregon pine is more suited for big timbers, mainly because it is cheaper and lighter?—l reckon it is better as studding in a house, also, than rimu. 66. You think it is better for framing a house?— Yes. 67. Why 1— -Because it does not warp or twist so much as rimu. 68. Have you had very much trouble with rimu warping or twisting?— Yes, a great deal. 69. In the framework of houses? —Yes, such as window-frames and so forth. 70. You would not use rimu for window-frames, would you?—lt has been used. 71. But it is not usual?— No. 72. I am talking about the framing. Have you heard of any difficulty about the twisting of rimu? —I have seen it. 73. Often?— Yes, often. 74. What is it due to —the timber not having been seasoned? —Yes; it is put in when it is wet. 75. Do you think there is much building in unseasoned timber in Christchurch?—l do not mean to say that the timber is absolutely wet, but it is not seasoned in a great many cases. 76. Do you mean to tell us that all the Oregon pine that comes here is seasoned?— No. 77. I suppose that most of the rimu you buy is first-class stuff?— The first-class rimu—what we call figured rimu—it is a hard matter to get dry. We have to stack it ourselves. That is, in certain thicknesses —larger sizes. With regard to the other rimu, that is used in furniture, and if it is well seasoned it will stand all right —that is, if it is straight-grained. There are different kinds of red-pine; some of it has a very straight grain and is clear-looking, and another sort is what we call heart. 78. Do you buy a good deal of rimu? —Yes. 79. What you buy is not the rough rimu, but what is fit for furniture-making?— Mostly so, unless it is a shop-fitting job. We buy rimu for that. It is not necessary for it to stand so well in ordinary shelving. 80. Still, you do not buy rough timber for shelving?— No. 81. And what about the resinous stuff and so forth?—We would not buy it if we had the other. 82. But there is a good deal of that in the rimu-tree? —Yes. 83. Is it not a fact that it is that class of material which the Oregon is shutting out —that is to say, it is that timber stuff which is used for framing in a building? —I do not think the builders would care to execute orders for that. 84. What is to happen to it?—l do not know. They are talking about felling and burningsome of the timber which cannot be used, and clearing the land for settlement. 85. AVhat is to happen to some of this rough, resinous rimu?—Are you alluding to post-and--rail work? 86. No, to heart rimu. It is rough, because of the resin in it? —That is different from the figured rimu. 87. Yes, but you do not buy the resinous timber I refer to?— No. 88. You have seen plenty of it in the framework of buildings? —Yes. I mean ordinary rimu, not resinous. 89. That is what it is well fitted for, is it not?—l should not like to say it is. I should not like to condemn the building that had it in. It is durable. 90. Oregon pine is used for the framework of buildings, is it not?— Yes. 91. And our rough and resinous timber is also used for that? —Yes. 92. Now, if Oregon pine is taking the place of rimu for this purpose, and you admit it is, do you not? —I have never known that any builder would buy a line of resinous rimu to put in a building if he had a contract. . 93. But plenty of it goes into his trade?— Probably without his knowledge. 94. What is to happen to it? Is it to be thrown away? If Oregon pine takes its place what are we to do with it?— Will it not do for posts and rails? 95. Rimu does not do for posts and rails % —lt is used a lot, not for posts in the ground, but for rails, and it would stand in the ground if it were resinous.