Record For N.Z. Timber

Northern Advocate, 5 July 1948, Page 5

Record For N.Z. Timber

WELLINGTON, Mon. (P.A.)— Outstanding success attended the New Zealand timber mills’ drive for re-coi-d pz-oduction in 1947-48. Production is nzillioizs of feet zzzore than the most optimisitic hopes at"'the beginning of the year and breaks the record by nearly 70,000,000 ft. Total production for the year was over 426,000,000 board feet and to this figure must be added peeler log production and the unknown output of some mills.

Announcing these figures today, the Commissioner of State Forests (Mr Skizzner) said the magnificent effort was a tribute to the sawmillez-s and timber workers thi-oughout the country. Wherever possible, the Minister said, mills had worked extended hours azzd in some cases pz-oduction had actually increased with even less lzzanpower thazz before the war.

NO BETTER EXAMPLE “There is not a better example in New Zealand of what can be achieved by harzzzony, hard work and cooperation,” he said. “At the sazzze time this impressive total is in no small measure due to the prudent wartime plazzning by the State Forest Service and timber controller to meet the increased demand for timber which was expected in the post-w-ar years.”

While production had increased in most mills, Mr Skinner said, the additional contributions of the large nuizzber of new mills had bz-ought the total up to such huge dimensions. Thez-e was also no doubt of the important part being played by the timber workers’ accozizmodatioiz scheme.

The provision of better housing and working conditions had proved an important factor in attracting men into the industry and raising the annual average output figure to something like 70,000 ft per man. NEW TARGET SET

The major contribution to the North Island supply of exotic timber had come from the state sawmill near Rotorua, production of which reached 16,780.000 board feet, or about 12 per cent of the total of exotic timber cut in the country.

In one day the mill made a record output of 104,000 ft.

“With the attainment of our postwar objective, urgent consideration is being given to further expansion,” concluded Mr Skinner.

“Attention may now be given to increased export of timber and to meet these requirements a new production target of 500,000,000 board feet by 1954 has been set.”