MEN FOR SAWMILLS

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 July 1946, Page 6

MEN FOR SAWMILLS

IMPROVED HOUSING AS AN INDUCEMENT

LEGISLATION LIKELY Alarmed at the Dominion-wide dearth of sawmill workers, representatives of millers and workers in both the South and North Islands comprising the Timber Advisory Committee, met at Wellington last week and fully discussed .measures necessary to attract more men into the industry. The Commissioner of State Forests, Mr Skinner, was chairman of the meeting, at which Messrs A. L. McKay (West Coast Sawmillers’ Association) and F. L. Turley (Timber Workers’ Union secretary) represented Westland.

The need for improved housing conditions was the main topic, and proposals submitted were studied at length. Many aspects peculiar to the West Coast were discussed, and, finally, a plan to increase the number of houses available to bushmen, and to make more attractive those in existence at present, was evolved. It is understood that the matter is being treated as urgent,-and a bill along the lines of the scheme proposed is likely to be placed before the present session of Parliament. AT LEAST 1,000 WORKERS REQUIRED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 30. At least 1000 workers, particularly bushmen, were wanted in the timber industry throughout New Zealand to bring production up to the capacity of existing units, said the secretary of the Sawmillers’ Federation (Mr. Arthur Seed) yesterday. The industry had been scratching for manpower all through the war and the position had not improved to any recognisable extent since hostilities ended. In the industry the general opinion held as the explanation of the shortage was that men were finding more congenial employment offering elsewhere, which precluded them from seeking work in the industry. The manpower difficulty had a direct bearing on production, as the main shortage was in competent bushmen, which meant that, without logs, sawmill work was held up and’’the great proportion of mills operated at a level below capacity.