MILLING ENTERPRISE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 28 March 1935, Page 9

MILLING ENTERPRISE

Egmont Box Company Operations at National Park development of taurewa block INSPECTION BY DIRECTORATE ITROM its fringe oil the Roto Airo Roacl through Tongariro * National Park, 14 miles from National Park station, there extends, in a north-westerly direction a vast territory of typical ' New Zealand virgin forest, covering 22,000 one ot the largest remaining areas of untouched timber m the No Island. The milling rights of Taurewa Block, as it is named, are held by the Egmont Box Company, and the importance of thh? to Taranaki dairying lies in the fact that, as the result of a vigorous campaign in the development of its particular industry °the company now has sufficient timber to fill the cheese crate requirements of the province for the next 20 yeais besides supplying the open market with general heart wood building lines. During the past ten months the company has been engaged in the building of a new mill equipped with tile latest mac - inery. the construction of railways, the clearing of a site at National Park station for the erection of a modern factory and the employment of an expert staff. Milling actually ha - been in progress at National Park for a week with a daily output of 20,000 to 25,000 feet of first-class timber. On Monday a partv comprising members of the directorate and management of the company, together with representatives of shareholding dairy companies, the building trade, engineering firms and the Press, travelled by car to National Park and on Tuesday paid a visit of inspection to the new mill. The main railway line into the bush was traversed as far as its present terminus, where felling operations, log hauling, train loading and the laying of new tracks proved to be features ot all-absorbing interest. The highly efficient organisation refleeted in the work of the company’s general manager (Mr J. Ct. Eliott), who has had the direct responsibility of promoting the company’s new venture, was the subject of admiration and congratulations were extended to him on the results so far achieved.