128 



AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 



same year 59,543,868 feet, valued at $1,720,396, and the importations 

 were distributed as follows : 



Upon careful inquiry I find that a great portion of the timber for 

 which South Australia has the credit, in the tables of importations, is 

 really from Oregon and Washington, and taken to the Broken Hill 

 mines in New South Wales through South Australia, entered at Ade- 

 laide or Fort Price. 



DUTY. 



There is an import duty of 3s. per 100 superficial feet, or about $7.20 

 per 1,000 on dressed lumber, and $3.60 per 1,000 on rough lumber. 

 This duty does not apply to ash, hickory, oak, sycamore, or sandal 

 wood, when undressed. On palings the duty is Is. per 100; laths, 9rf. 

 per 1,000; shingles, Is. per 1,000; pickets, Is. per 100 feet, superficially 

 dressed; doors, sashes, and shutters, 2s. each. 



PRICES. 



At present (March, 1894) times are dull, consumption is very light, 

 the stocks on hand are large, and prices are low. u Oregon pine," 

 which means the Puget Sound, or Oregon, fir. is worth but 8s. per 100, 

 or say $20 per 1,000 in the local market, by cargo. Freights are now 

 very low, but 27s. 6d., or $6.87 per 1,000, and with a duty of $3.60 per 

 1,000, it leaves but $9.53 per 1,000 for the purchase of the lumber, and 

 the profit, insurance, commission, etc. This is a poor outlook for our 

 Pacific slope lumber trade in Australia. 



Eedwood is worth about 12s. per 100, or about $30 per 1,000, rough, 

 and the demand is light. 



lied wood shingles are worth from 65 to 75 cents per 100, with small 

 and rather decreasing demand. 



The native hard woods are worth from $24 to $36 per 1,000, accord- 

 ing to kind and quality. This is about the price of imported hard 

 woods also, though good hickory is higher in small quantities. 



It may be well here to remark that the prices above given for " Ore- 

 gon pine," $20 per 1,000, is low, but it is the price (given me by a custom 

 house officer and an American shipmaster) received for a cargo just 

 from Port Blakely, on Puget Sound. I incline to think this price 



