Big Increase In Timber Production

Northern Advocate, 5 August 1949, Page 2

Big Increase In Timber Production

' WELLINGTON, Fri. (P.A.).— The timber industry was one of the most important in the country and there had not been one scrap of industrial trouble in it since the outbreak of the Second World War, said the Commissioner of State Forests (Mr Skinner) in the House of Representatives last night when he moved the second reading of the Forests Bill. Mr Skinner added that overall production had increased tremendously from 307.668,000 board feet in 1921 to 478,100,000 board feet in 1948, and production per man from 39,978 board feet to 61,000 board feet in the same period. The industry went through some very difficult times during the war because of lack of manpower and lack of equipment and maintenance problems. MORE MILLS However, production had gone on steadily since the end of hostilities and the number of mills had increased from 610 in 1939 to 692 in 1949. Even though the number of men employed in the industry had not increased in proportion to the number of mills, the industry had kept itself abreast of the times. New Zealand’s timber trade was growing every year. The export trade was expanding, and it should not be allowed to be prejudiced by sending inferior and poo’iy-sawn timber out of the country. Austr. ,,,; could use all that New Zealand produced provided the price was right and the timber was what they wanted. Although the most striking increase in production had been in exotics, there had also been in the last few years an outstanding increase in the production of native timbers. Mr Skinner praised all connected with the timber industry for its record achievements.

A subsidence in the Wellington-New Plymouth railway line, about a mile north of Kai-Iwi. which started on Wednesday night, became worse yesterday. It involves several chains of track. Railway gangs made temporary repairs to enable the northbound New Plymouth express to get through yesterday afternoon. Just before the arrival of a southbound railcar a further subsidence occurred, closing the line.