AXEMEN’S CARNIVAL

Grey River Argus, 1 December 1944, Page 2

AXEMEN’S CARNIVAL

Events in the Pacific WEST COASTER'S GREAT DAY fR.N.Z.A.F. News Service] GUADALCANAL, November 25. With the sun shining in a cloudless sky, the temperature was past the ICill mark, and in a setting very; closely resembling a typical New Zealand scene, the Allied Axemen’s Championship Carnival at Guadalcanal was a great success. In a cleared space, surrounded by jungle, could be seen trees which had made their appearance overnight, logs set in their fixtures all trimmed to the specific size, large chips , from the trimmed logs lying on the ground, a hastily constructed grandstand, and the usual booths and a refreshment tent run by, the National Patriotic Fund Board in conjunction with the American Red Cross. Tire whole scene was reminiscent of many of the big chopping carnivals in New Zealand.

This, of course, was not surprising, because whereever axemen foregather there is certain to be talk of carnivals' and, in the long run, carnivals will be organised. And there are plenty of bushmen,, from New Zealand and from the United States, in the Pacific. A big percentage of them had had no previous experience of sawmilling: but practical work under the guidance of professional bushmen, has brought them quickly to a high state of efficiency.

There are two sawmills manned exclusively by; men of the Royal New Zealand Air Force in full operation on Guadalcanar, supplying timber for various Allied installations. The older established one has been producing an average of 50,000 feet a week of mahogany, rubberwood, teak and a little rosewood, while the other is just getting into its full stride. It is hard work for all hands. The mills are self-contained units, and many extreme difficulties have been and still have to be overcome.

The decision to organise a carnival was received enthusiastically, and the success of the event justified all of tlie preliminary planning and manual work. Flying Officer Baker, Officer Commanding, N.Z. No. 1 Mill, was entitled to much of the credit for the layout and smooth running of the meeting.

HONOURS DIVIDED The programme comprised eleven events, and teams from each of the two New Zealand and two United States mill? competed. T'wo men from each mill competed in each event. Interest was keen. The teams result was exciting. New Zealand and the United S'tates dead-heat-ed with 26 points each, but the N.Z.

No. 2 Mill team won the unit competition with 16 points. The United States teams scored 14 and 12 points respectively, and the N.Z. No. 1 Mill Team scored 10 points. The shooting competition which was held in the morning, was won by New Zealand by. 15 points. The New Zealanders dominated the chopping events, winning every one of them. The Americans were correspondingly superior in the sawing section, although part of their success in this respect was due to the excellent sawing of Fryer, a New Zealander, who is in the American forces. The New Zealand axemen cut a much broader s-earf than the Americans. The Americans used a longer and heavier saw but their margin in the sawing events was very small. OUTSTANDING PERSONALITL. The outstanding personality of the carnival was Kelly. Wilson, a West Coaster, who belongs ot the N.Z. No. 2 Mill. He won the three single chopping events. He was equally superior to all comers in the jiggerboard chop and was on the second jigger-board commencing his chop while the other competitors l were still setting their first boards.. In each of his three earlier successes he was hurried along by the second placewinner Red' Mears, of N.Z. No. 1 Mill. In a contest between power and hand saws, in which the power saw did three cuts, the New 1 Zealand pair got away to a bad start. They made it up, however, and completed their cut as the Americans on the power saw were halfway through the third cut. The Americans had a success in the tug-of-war, winning two pulls to one. Air Commodore Sir Robert Clark-Hall, Air Officer Commanding, No. 1 (Islands) Group, presented the prizes, given by the National Patriotic Fund Board.