N.Z. STATE SAWMILLS

Grey River Argus, 16 August 1944, Page 6

N.Z. STATE SAWMILLS

Less Than Tenth of Private Output

HON. C. F. SKINNER STATES POSITION. P.A. WELLINGTON, August 15. The recent annual meeting of the Dominion Federated Sawmillers’ Association was opened by Hon. Major C. F. Skinner, Commissioner of State Forests. The main theme of his address was the great need for increased timber production and the intention to extend the Departmental sawmilling enterprise. He stated that no final decision about the establishment of the Reporoa mill had yet been made. Major Skinner said ‘‘that notwithstanding the recent newspaper reports, he could inform the meeting, authoritatively, that no final decision in respect to the establishment of the Reporoa mill had yet been made. He emphasised that never had the Forest Service contemplated that the total producing capacity of all of the departmental mills would ever exceed ten per cent, of the total cut of both the indigenous and the exotic timber. He congratulated tne Federation and all those associated with the sawmilling industry upon the magnificent effort made in meeting the war-time needs for immense, quantities of timber for emergency defence purposes under ' exceptional difficulties. He referred to still-in-creasing quantities of timbei’ that would be required for housing and rehabilitation, and he expressed confidence that the industry would be able to stand up to this fresh demand. ' The meeting subsequently appointed a special sub-committee to promote every possible measure for the speeding up of timber production.