Romance of the Kauri Through Fifty Years

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 5, 7 January 1936, Page 8

Romance of the Kauri Through Fifty Years

BUSH MANAGER’S EXPERIENCES. A chapter covering over 50 years in the romantic history of the kauri timber industry was related by Mr P. Faithful], who has been for many yerf's bush manager for the aKuri Timber Company, and who is retiring from that position at the end of this month, states the New Zealand Herald. Mr Faithfull commenced his timber activities in tho Whangaroa forests at the age of 15 years, and is at present in charge of extensive operations on the Great Barrier Island, where the huge logs arc being brought by tram over the hills into the harbour at Wliaugaparapara. He has worked in almost every stand in New Zealand, and has also spent some time on Irfan Cristoval, in the Solomons, reporting on the kauri forest there. Inspired by watching painters at work on the Waiwera School, which he was attending, young Faithfull decided to follow that trade, and at the age of 10 years he became apprenticed to Mr J. C. Robinson, of the Three Lamps. At that time his employer kept four apprentices and twelve tradesmen fully employed, but four years later Auckland was in the throes on one of the worst slumps in history and the firm was reduced to the master and one apprentice. Phenomenal Activity. “I think unemployment was more acute then than it is to-day even,” Mr Faithfull said, ‘‘especially when one considers how small the population of Auckland was. I often saw professional men crossing in boats to the North Shore to add to their slender income by digging gum. Tradesmen were getting only 5s a day and I decided to join my older brothers in the North, where the kauri industry was at its height. ‘‘There w r ere mills everywhere in those days, all through North Auckland and on the Coromandel Peninsula and the east coast. The traffic in the Ivaipara was phenomenal, with sailing vessels loaded half-way up their masts, plying to America, Australia and the South Island. For the overseas trade the logs were squared with the broad axe to prevent shifting on the voyage, and, as there were no restrictions in those days, cargoes of nearly a million feet were common, filling every available inch of space. ‘‘Fifty years ago Whangaroa was one of the chief centres of tho industry. It was probably one of the first places to attract the whalers, for the trees were the toughest iu the country, and were highly suitable for ship’s spars. There was the added advantage that they grew down to the edges of the tidal creeks. At the same time felling was in full swing right down the Thames and Tauranga coasts and thousands of men were employed. ’ ’ Buried Forest Near Papakura. From his observations made during half a century in the kauri forests, Mr Faithfull expressed the opinion that the Auckland province was almost covered with the trees, but that more had been destroyed by fire before the advent of the white man than remained when he arrived. ‘‘The Maoris living down at the water’s edge for fish foods must have been responsible for colossal damage with their fires,” he said. ‘‘ln other places great catastrophes apparently took their toll, burying the huge trees in swamps. I was once sent to measure such a forest near Papakura, where the trees were excavated and milled and probably did much damage to the good name of tho tree, as when they were out of the ground some time they split badly.” From a lifetime of experience Mr Faithfull related some interesting facts about tlio akuri. Actually tho largest tree he had seen was 54ft. in girth and 80ft. high and was still standing in the Thames district. Discussing the probable age of large trees, he said he had noticed that each seven years the tree made two annual rings due to the sap flowing twice. _c considered the kauri grew remarkably quickly iu the early stages, but later, when hampered by competition in the forest, it probably gained one foot in diameter each century. Many apparently sound trees were rotten inside due to injuries earlier and the scors were hidden by the bark, lie instanced a case where two tons of gum had been fouiid beneath the bark cf an apparently sound tree. Many Changes in Methods. During liis career Mr Faithfull has seen many changes in logging methods. In the early days only those trees within 20 chains of water were handled, leaving the forest further back for the more expensive logging later on. At first rolling roads were used followed by bullock haulage. Where good streams existed many dams were formed to create artificial flooding, especially in the hilly country. To-day huge haulers and railways were the usual things, adding much to the expense of the work. ‘‘Compared with 50 years ago there are very few bushmen to-day,” Mr Faithfull said. “ Many of the workmen were genuine craftsmen, able to turn their hanu to any branch of the work. I doubt if you could find many men able to build a dam to-day, where everyone is a specialist. Then we used to live on ‘salt horse’ and such luxuries as jam were unknown, while today tho menu would not disgrace a city hotel.”