The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-22 00:00:00

State the result. The exportation of deals in 1817, from Petersburg to Great
Britain, was 2,230,595 standard deals ; the exportation in 1818 was 11564,110 ;
the exportation in 1819 was 1,237,208 standard deals; and the exportation last
year was only 1,090,015 standard deals ; so that the exportation has been, for the
last four years, constantly and regularly decreasing.
What do you apprehend would be the effect.of such an alteration of the present
mode of levying the duties on deals, as should 'make them lay by their• cubical
contents ? I apprehend the effect would be throwing such an advantage into the
hands of Norway, as to give her, in point of fact, a monopoly of the trade.
Are there any saw mills or other establishments formed in Russia, with a view
to the timber trade of this country ? Yes, several.
Are they considerable ? Yes, very large.
Where most of the deals that come into this country arc cut ? Yes, where they
are all cut.
What proportion of them are under the direction of subjects of this country, or
carried on by British capital ? I know of only one mill, whose proprietors are
English ; there may be more ; that one is at Riga.
Do you know whether any British subjects have an interest in any of the others?
No ; I do not know that they have.
What is the price of deals at Petersburg and at Riga ? The last price of red
wood deals at Petersburg was 61. 19s. per standard hundred on board, and the
price for the same article at Riga, by the last advice, was 71. 10s. per Petersburg
standard hundred on board.
What is the freight ? The usual freight varies; I should think about 41. per
Petersburg standard hundred ; we have paid four guineas last year; and had some
ships at 31. 1.55.
Are you aware of any regulations in Russia, which may have been, in part, the
cause of the diminution in the export of timber ? No, lam not.
The account you have given of the diminished export of timber from Russia, is
confined to particular parts ? To Petersburg only ; the exportation of deals from
Riga was less last year than it was the year before.
Have you any statement to give of the export from all the ports of Russia gene-
rally to this country ? No, I have not.
What number of voyages do the timber ships from Petersburg and from Riga
usually make in a year ? From Petersburg two.
Never more? There may occasionally have been instances of three, but two is
the number they generally make.
You have stated that the price of Petersburg deals is 61. 19s. per standard hun-
dred, have you any calculations, either of the same quantity, or any greater quan-
tity, to show what the proceeds of the deals are in this country at the present time,
compared to their cost ? Yes, I have a calculation of that sort, which, if it is the
pleasure of the committee, I will give in. I see that the proceeds of a hundred of
Petersburg deals, reduced to the Norway standard, is 51. Os. 9d. ; the same sort
on board, reduced to the Norway hundred, would cost 111. 9s. on board.
Consequently the trade from Petersburg is now carried on at a loss ? At a very
great loss.

What were the prices of deals at Petersburg two years ago ? I cannot state that
accurately, except from memory.
How long has the trade been in the state in which you have now described it,
with respect to the proceeds ? I should think, for the last eighteen months, the
prices have been falling here so considerably.
To what do you attribute that fall of price ? I attribute it to the extreme low
price at which American deals are sold, and the large importations.
If there was no duty on Russian deals, at what price could they be sold in this
country, with a fair profit to the importer ? I think they might be sold at about
131. per Petersburg standard hundred.
At what price could they be sold under the present duties, with a fair profit to
the importer ? One or two-and.twenty pounds the Petersburg standard hundred.

[The witness delivered in the paper, which was read as follows.]

No. 1. Norway trade, under the existing system :
Selling price of a hundred of Norway deals, viz.
120 pieces of 12 feet 3 in. 9 inch
Freight - -
Commission and charges -
Duty on a foreign ship -

1. s. (1.
38 ..—.

4
2 10 l, 28
21 10 -

Balance for prime cost on board

No. 2. Baltic trade, under the existing system :
Russia red deals, 120 pieces, 16 feet 3 in. 10 inch (the average
dimensions according to the report of the commissioners of
customs) contain 2 cwt. 1 qr. 21 lbs. standard hundred of 43 13
120 pieces, 12 feet 11 inch, 11 inch, which is 181. per standard
hundred, is - - - - - -
Freight - - - - 11 9 2
Commission and charges - - 3 10 -- 35 14 10
Duty in a British ship - - 20 15 8
Balance fur prime cost on board -
'Which is equal to the quantity of wood contained in the Nor-
way standard hundred of 120 pieces, 12 feet, 3 inch, 9 inch, 5 9 6
only - - - - - -
No. 3. Baltic trade, under the existing system :
Russia deals, 120 pieces, 20,feet 3 inch, 11 inch (the largest
possible size) contain 3 cwt. 1 qr. 10 lbs. standard hundred an
.....
--
of 120 pieces, 12 feet, I i inch, 11 inch, which is 181. per "'
standard hundred - - - - - -

Freight - -
Commission and charges
Duty in a British ship -

7 18 2

15 15 -
5 - -} 41 10 8
20 15 8

Balance for prime cost on board

18 19 4

Which is equal to the quantity of wood contained in the Nor-
way standard hundred of 120 pieces of 12 feet, 3 inch, 3 inch, 9 1 4
only- - - - - -

No. 4. Norway trade, by a graduated scale, same as in Ireland :
Selling price of a hundred of Norway deals, of 120 pieces, 12 38
feet, 3 inch, 9 inch - - .
Freight - - - - 4
Commission and charges - - 2 10 19 8 6
Duty in a foreign ship - - 12 18 6

Balance for prime cost on board

l 8 II 6

The cost price, in 1820, of red wood deals on board at St. Petersburg, was per
Petersburg standard hundred, 61. 10s. to 71. St. Petersburg standard hundred of
120 pieces, 12 feet long, inches thick, and 11 inches broad, contains 165 cubic
feet. A Norway hundred of 120 pieces, 12 feet long, 3 inches thick, and 9 inches
broad, contains 270 cubic feet ; so that such deals cost in St. Petersburg, per Nor-
way hundred, at the above prices, no less than from 101. 12s. Bd. to I IL 9s. Id.
on board.

Have you any grounds for your reason, why the establishment of the duties, if
it should so take place, by the cubic measure, would prove so detrimental to the
Russian trade, and beneficial to the Norway ? Yes ; I infer so from the progress
of the trade as it has hitherto been conducted ; I find, that as the duties have been
hitherto levied, Norway has her full share of the trade ; and that she obtains, in
fact, a better price for her deals than we do, and more net proceeds ; and, conse-
quently, if they have such an advantage given them as to reduce the duty from 211.
which they now pay, to 121. which would be the effect of the alteration, they would
have suck an advantage over us as to drive us completely out of the market.