POWER POLES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 289, 10 November 1925, Page 4

POWER POLES

DELAY IN POKAKA SUPPLY.

CONSIGNMENT FROM AUS-

TRALIA,

In reporting on a visit to the Manawatu County’s silver pine forest at. Pokaka, at yesterday’s meeting of the Manawatu-Oroua Power Hoard, the assistant engineer (Mr T. Donaldson) stated: .“The object of my visit was to ascertain the causes of delay in receiving, poles. As is generally known, the silver pine usually is to be found in wet, marshy mountain swamps. The winter we have just passed through has been a particularly severe one, and as - a consequence the contractor has had rather a trying time in doing any work at all. Despite the fact that-the weather had improved con-' sidefably a fortnight prior to my visit, there were still marked truces of tiie difficulties that had to be met during the previous months. The result of the bad weather had made it impossible to do any snigging work with horses. When the tram layers have completed this work a start will bo made with a similar line to the south of the main tram line. This, when completed, will give access to the balance of the bush. The contractor realises our urgent need of poles, so has been in touch with a neighbouring contractor, who has a line within easy distanco of the southern boundary, for the use of his tram. Arrangements are complete, and by this means accessibility should be given to a fairly good “pocket” of pine bush. This “pocket” should yield somewhere in the vicinity of 400 poles. A further cause of delay in consignments coming forward is due to the fact that the contractor has to work the bush on a “face.” The Forestry Department will not permit him just to wander over the block and pick out timber suitable for poles, lie must clear the bush as he goes, and cut and get rid of other species of timber. “Before pursuing further, I may outline the position of the block in which we are interested. The shape is rectangular, and extends east from the Pokaka station to a distance of 110 chains. Its width is, 50 chains, and it runs parallel with the Main Trunk line. An area to a depth of 20' chains has been set aside by the Forestry Department as a scenic reserve. A bush tram has been laid right through the centre of the block to the top boundary, the length of this tram being 115 chains. This has enabled the contractor to work about 12 chains on either side of the tram. That means to say that about 216 acres have been worked by this means. This leaves approximately 284 acres to find access to by other means. The method adopted has been the construction of branch lines. Already one of these has been laid to the north-east for 20 chains. A further 15 chains turns east and, running parallel with the main line, is now under construction and, when completed, will enable the contractor to clear all that area to the north of the main tram.

“Further, a considerable amount of the silver pine that is being cut is much too big for use as poles and is only fit for milling. The Forestry Department’s estimate of the number of poles procurable from the block wss 5000. To date we have received approximately 1800 and, with'over half the area worked, I do not anticipate the yield reaching the department's appraisement. In conclusion, I wish to say that we are desperately in need of poles for our secondary and consumers’ lines, and would suggest that we procure 500 each of the 26ft and 22ft sizes from Australia. This would only bo sufficient to build 16 miles eacli of the above lines, but it would supplement supplies coming forward from Pokaka. I am of the opinion that everything possible is being done by the contractor to expedite delivery.” The chairman of the board (Mr J. A. Nash) asked whether the Manawatu County would be prepared to release them from their agreement,. but Sir James AVilson, as chairman of the latter body, laughingly replied in the negative, adding that the county was after the “diversity” figures like the Palmerston North Borough Council. It was accordingly decided that a supply of poles be secured from Australia to meet the present needs of the board. •