Every day furnishes new evidence of the damage to our timber industry caused by the abolition of the import duty of two shillings per 100 ft. last session. Another vessel has arrived at Port Chalmers from Columbia ; Christchurch is already stocked with American lumber, and yet these are only tho early indications of what we may expect when the charters now arranged for are completed. By one act of foolish inter ference with a great industry, Mr Ballance has imperrilled the prosperity of Auckland. His meddling is, moreover, the less ex cusable, inasmuch as it was without public opinion and without precedent to support it. New South Wales is "presumably the great free trade model in Australasia, but IS ew South Wales, although not possessing the wealth of timber enjoyed by New Zealand, imposes a duty of 2s per 100 ft" on dressed and Is per 100 ft on undressed timber—and we believe the 2s is exacted upon every stick of sawn kauri sent from Auckland to that colony. Victoria must depend very largely on imports for its timber, but the Govern ment still levy duties of Is 6d and 9d respectively on different classes of lumber. Tasmania shoots the products of its forests into New Zealand—to the extent in 1876 of a million and a half feet of sawn timber, besides log.», palings, etc.—but that colony is equally careful to levy black mail on timber sent from New Zealand. The duty there is 8s per 40 cubic feet for boards less than 3in thick. South Australia charges from 2s 6d per 40 cubic feet, to Is6d per 100 superficial feet on different classes. In short, New Zealand, which alone was in a position to supply its own wants without importing, has gone out of its way to invite competi tion with the inferior and inflammable lum ber of Northwestern America, which is seeking a market everywhere. A monster petition in favour of restoring the duty be fore the timber trade of the province is com pletely crippled is now on the tapis, and by united effort it may still be possible to stem back the torrent ere our mills are swept away. Petitions in favour of the restora tion of duties on grain, butter aud cheese are also spoken of. 