EXCHANGE POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 57, 5 September 1945, Page 9

EXCHANGE POLICY

HARDWOOD FROM AUSTRALIA

The importance of obtaining hardwood from Australia was emphasised by Mr. E P. Meachen (Government, Marlborough), Parliamentary Undersecretary attached to the Minister of Works, when speaking in the Budget debate1 in the House of- Representatives yesterday in defence of the policy of exchanging hardwood for New Zealand soft woods. He said )t had been necessary to make the arrangement because New Zealand needed hardwood for railway sleepers, bridges, and other requirements, and the stocks in the Dominion had vanished.

''All our railways are running on hardwood sleepers," said Mr, Meachen. Mr. E. B. Corbett (National, Egraont): Not-very often. . Continuing, Mr. Meachen said that in addition tc the hardwood sleepers for the railway tracks, stocks of hardwood were required to build and maintain bridges. If New Zealand tried to maintain its bridges by using New Zealand timber about twice as much would be necessary than was .required if hardwood was used. New Zealand's stocks of hardwood had completely gone; there had not been sufficient hardwood sleepers to complete the two and a • half miles that remained of the South Island Main Trunk railway. In addition, the existing lines had to be maintained. He thought New Zealand was very fortunate in being able to obtain supplies. The Dominion was not "being taken dowh" in the arrangement that had been made, but actually was a gainer. Mr. A. S. Sutherland (National, Hanraki): What about concrete sleepers?. Have you tried them out? Mr. Meachen said experiments had been made, but the hardwood was cheapest and the hardwood sleeper had proved the most suitable for the New Zealand railways.