TIMBER WASTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1926, Page 8

TIMBER WASTE.

A question of first-class importance relative to i lio future of our timher supply and to the eo-t of hnil.ling is raised in an article \vr publish to-day alimii Uip waste of loeai limber. Building regulations are strict in requiring a lnrge percentage of heart timher in houses, lint tlip percentage of heart timber produced by the average tree is small. The result i> that. ;i great rleal of local timber is not being used. Imported timher is taking it> place. Tf soiup means rmild Wγ found of making this surplus local timber meet the requirement.* nf local bodies, there would ho a great gain all round. The price of tim hei-, and therefore the cost of building, would go down, and our local supplies would las; longer. lr is stated on the liest authority that it i> possible to so treat this timber *n a~ to make it usable for all part- of houses. As ia stated in the article, the question was brought il]i at a national conference in Wellington two years and resolutions, were passed calling on the <Jovernment to make certain investigations. That .someth'm;; Ims been ilone is certain — the Forest Department has been experimenting for some time—but whether that something i~ enough is another matter. There arc two ways out of tiie difficulty. Kither building regulations must be relaxed, or some means must b" found of treating the timber that is now barred from use. We do not. see why the timber industry should not experiment on its own account with preservative methods, but the froveriiment is in a milch better position to do so. and we hope that it will act vigorously. It should have a keen eye for anything that is calculated to check waste and reduce the cost of living.

A keenly-interested spectator of the fine display of white wings on the harbour yesterday was Mr. W. J. Boylan from his residence on Kohiniarama Point. The flagstaff was decked with 40 flags in honour of the occasion. Mr. Boylan was an enthusiastic yachtsman in his younger days, and recalls the fact that just 47 years ago yesterday he won the principal yacht race at the regatta of 1870. The race was for yachts 1"> tons and under, the prize being a cup valued at £25, donated by the New Zealand Shipping Co. Mr. Boylan's yacht was named Phoenix, and she was built by John Graydon at the foot of College Hill. The second boat was Sabrina, nine tons. K. L. Stoddart owner, and Vision, nine tons, third. C. J. Robertson. The course was about 25 miles, and the race was sailed in a strong breeze from the sou-west. The s.s. City of Sydney, of the Panama Mail Boat Line, was Magship. Captain H. C. Dearborne in command, who took the visitors for a run down to Rangitoto Beacon after the regatta. Mr. Boylan, who is 74 years of age, still takes a lively interest in all yachting events. The Takapuna Jockey Club's meeting yesterday, attracted what must have been close to a record attendance for the club. The sport provided was interesting throughout, the winners, ill the majority of cases being well fancied. The Takapuna Cup was won by the Te Awamutu trained Desert <j!low, from Town Bank and Transformer, Those present were well armed with money, and. during the afternoon, the sum of £02.727 was handled at the totalisators, which is £215 10/ more than was registered on Takapuna Cup day last year. The only accident during the day. occurred in the Hauraki Hurdles, when Finmack fell and the rider , , J. Puncheon, received a broken forearm. An accident, fortunately more amusing than serious in its consequences, befell the Greymouth Stipendiary Magistrate, Mr. \V. Meldrum, on the Grey River one recent evening. The genial S.M., who is an ardent follower of lzzak \\ alton, after an afternoon's fishing, found himself trapped by the incoming tide on a small island of pebbles, which showed promise of being under water at full tide. His awkward predicament was observed from the shore, and a rescue party set out in a small boat, but the boat promptly collapsed and sank under their feet, precipitating the party into water two feet deep. Having scrambled on to a bank and from a point opposite the island they began an attempt to bridge the gulf with planks. Collapse of the incomplete structure dropped the rescuers once more into the water. A small boat having now been sighted S.O.S. signals were displayed, and a few minutes later Mr. Meldrum stepped safely on to terra firma. William Bord.pi! was driving his motor car towards Onehunga yesterday afternoon through Rock field Pvoad, Penrose, when he pulled up on tlve side of the road. He then got out of the car, laid down on the grass and went to sleep. About 7 o'clock a resident found him in that condition and informed the Onoliunga police. Constables Annie and F. \\ . Johnstone went over and arrested Borden, who this morning was charged at the Onehunga Police Court before Messrs. -T. E. (owe!! and J. La king, •T.P.'s, with being drunk while in charge of a motor car. Constable Annie stated the facts for the prosecution, and said that, the defendant, who had been bailed out in the sum of £I<>, had asked him to plead guilty, as he could not attend the Court. He was convicted and fined £•">.. At tho meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board a letter was received dealing with the question of the death nf a hoy in the hospital recently during an operation for the removal of hi = tonsils. Lengthy consideration of the matter, including a report from the medical superintendent, was dealt with at length in committee. Eventually it was decided that the whole matter be reported on by the hospital subcommittee. A motion of sympathy with the parents was passed, all members standing, and it was decided to send a letter of condolence to the parents. The chairman was also instructed to prepare a statement about the whole matter for publication in the Press. "Xew Zealand is too good for you to have all on your own. so we have decided to take a little of it back home with us when we go —you can spire i., you know." That is what one of the American tourists said just before the party left Ohristehureh hy oar for Kaikoura. "Yon don't think we can do it?" she asked. "Oh. yes we can: we've '2ni a nice big lump of it in our packs now. and we'll have a lot more before we leave." She. spoke the truth. Three of the tourists have cinematograph cameras with them, and since their arrival in New Zealand they havj shot many scenes which they will take back to their friends in the States. "Tliev wouldn't believe that your country was Si delightful if we just told tlip'm— s>i we've decided to let them see it for themsehos." said one of the party. A good joke was perpetrated on I he Mayor of Rangiora (Mr. R. Mcfntosh I. by Mr. George Wright, the L-.ipmi.i ~f the British bowling team. After the Mayor had extended a welcome to the visitors Mr. Wrialit , ,o sented him with a badge of tile team. "And when you g n to < hristohurrli." he remarked in serious vein to the Mayor "yoii will be able to ride on the trams and the trains." Here he paused, and a> a look of astonishment appenrerl »■ Mr. McTntoshs face, be ndded. "al.wtvs provided, of course, that you pay your rare- After the laughter had ",,,h sided Mr. Mclntosh admitted that for the moment be thought, that what Mr W right had said was true without the provi.su. A story is told of two youth* who were fishing j,, ,he Taihape district recently, and who. while having lunch WPre unexpectedly accosted hy a THUger Asked to produce their licensfs, the pair stood irresolute. and'Tlipn one bolted hotly pursued by the ranger. A lona chase ended in capture, and then the angry and gasping ranger demanded his captive's name. "What for?" inquired the captive. "For not having a license " wa> the sharp reply. "But 1 have "ot one. and here it is." said the eapl ivr."a s he fished a bit of paper from bis po.-ket "Well, why on eartli did you run"' shouted the now thoroughly incensed ranger. "T wanted to give mc a cobber a chance to get away. He ha*n"t got one." The ranger's indignation may more easily lie imagined than expressed. The High Commissioner has advised the Hon. Minister in charge o| publicity that for three months In die lecture season. 18.1 lectures have been delivered on Xew Zealand i,, (; n , ilt Britnin. hy various individuals; f,, r a )| ~,-- --which the High Commissioners Office has supplied lantern slides. ]„ •,,]- ---dition 10 lectures have been cm en by the puhiliciv officer and his" a- , sistant.