BUSH WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 85, 11 April 1927, Page 11

BUSH WORKERS

MAIN TRUNK LINE

REDUCTION OF HANDS

Last Tuesday, a deputation waited on the Prime Minister .(the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates) and-the Acting-Minister of Bailways (the Hon. F. J. Eolleston) and urged the reconsideration' of the decision of the /Bailway Department to dispense with the services of 25 bush workers, from the Government forests at Pokako.and Eruaonithe Main Trunk line; The Prime Minister, after hearing the representations of' the deputation,' promised that'the request would receive the serious consideration of the Government, ; '

A reply has been received by Mr. B. MfKeen, M:P., from the Prime Minister in' which he states that the decision to reduce the quantity of timber to be milled for ■ the purposes of the Bailway Department was made only after full consideration of its effect, but it was clearly neee'ssaSy to reduce the output. The^ reduction would have .taken place earlier but for the fact that since Ist October last the Mamaku mill had been supplying the National Timber Company of •" Ngongotaha with ■ timber to take the place of the' company's production, which had been interrupted by the burning of the company's sawmill. The sawmill' had ' now 'been "rebuilt, and in future. the-;cpmpany would mill- its own-, requirements in. sawn . timber. Over 800,000 superficial .feet had been Bnppliejd on;that account, but the market was now elbsed^to, the Eailway Department. ..Even-with that market available, the department, was. producing more timber than it could use. Various fiWernatives were, considered, in:cludiiig that ,pf closing Mamaku entfr^yj.but that; would merely havq shift--1 ed the problem, from one locality to another. ■ A/hunibei- of the men being dispensed with were under temporary engagefnent only, and were informed .at. theiime of theirengagement that they, would not be required after Easter. - Mr., Coates said he could not agree that a'pplicypf pver-prddu.ction by a State Department to test out economic conditions wag sound . argument. _Jt was obvious ' that it; the Bailway Department produced timber in excess of ita_ own needs' and available market re-, quifements, the. economic, loss must be serioua, not only' to the Department but to! the State, and to private .industry as well. After full and exhaustive consideration of every aspect of the mat^ ter,. and taking into account alPthe circumstances, governing it, -a the Prime Minister.said he was compelled to conclude that, the'Eailway .Department took the best :courso open to it, and he regretted, therefore, that he could not. see his yyay to instruct the Department to defer the proposal to temporarily close; Pokako bush.- .., ; ;