TIMBER INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 25425, 5 March 1945, Page 4

TIMBER INDUSTRY

MAXIMUM PRODUCTION NECESSARY SUBSIDY ON OVERTIME PAYMENTS (P.A.) ROTORUA, March 5. " The maintenance of the highest possible production of timber is vitally necessary, and this definitely involves working a 48-hour week in the sawmills, as laid down in the modification order of 1941," the Minister of Forestry said yesterday. Since 1941, he added, the Government had granted a 60 per cent, subsidy on overtime pay, leaving the millers only 40 per cent, to meet. This was still the case, though alterations in th* Timber Workers' Award had now changed the original conditions of the modification order by which men could make up time within a thre?-weekly period at ordinary rates of pay. Work on Saturdays had now to be paid for at overtime rates. "The amount of overtime should not, under these circumstances, amount to a great deal more," commented Mr Skinner, after reference to the reluctance df tie millers to pay overtime. "We are continuing to pay up to 60 per cent of the overtime."

The Minister said it was the wish of the Government that the millers and workers should continue to make their own arrangements for time off. It was realised that work in isolated places made ,it very necessary for the men to get away at times, arid it was far the best idea for individual arrangements to be.made to suit the conditions obtaining. A definite future policy regarding exotic forests was difficult to comment, upon at the present time, said Mr Skinner. The present might be described as a waiting period for the. final result to take shape. The Waipa mill had been established to try out the w.orking of exotics, and as time went on the project would become more economic. It would, however, be some year! beFore definite policy decisions could be made regarding the working of exotic forests.

The value of forestry work as a means of rehabilitation was stressed by the Minister. If necessary, thousands of men could be absorbed while the industrial change-over from war to peacetime production was made, while the forestry school was hot to be regarded only as a rehabilitation venture. Educational bursaries under rehabilitation could be granted to the school in the same way as to the universities. Pri-. marily, however, the school was for the training of men as quickly as possible to become skilled in the really scientific work of forest appraisal. A thorough stock-taking of the indigenous forests, he added, was most necessary.