TIMBER AWAITS SHIPMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 24 October 1941, Page 7

TIMBER AWAITS SHIPMENT

♦ POSITION ON WEST COAST SHORTAGE OF COASTAL SHIPPING Greymouth, Oct. 23. Because of the shortage of coastal shipping, aggravated through recent delays caused by unfavourable weather at various ports, sawmillers on the West Coast are perturbed about stocks •if timber which are accumulating on their skids. Shipping facilities at Greymouth have for some time failed to keep pace with the accelerated wartime demand ; for timber, particularly from the North j Island, and the position appears to be j deteriorating. Ample orders are being j received from the North Island, but in | some cases it has been found impossible to fill them within the required time, as shipping space has not been ' available. | Thousands of feet of sawn limber are l lying on mill skids in all parts of the i district awaiting allocation of shipping space for transport to the North Island, and the quantity appears to be increasing rather than decreasing. Much of the timber on hand is on order for Auckland, comprising both white pine and rimu for food containers, and this timber, if left too long to the skids, Is liable to deteriorate fairly rapidly, specially in the warmer weather which can be expected shortly. A. representative of a large timber exporting firm to-day stated that it had been found impossible to fill some North Island orders because of the shipping position. Wellington and Auckland were both strongly in the market, but it was easier to get timber to Australia than to the North Island for the reason that a constant service was being maintained with larger ships to Australian ports. There was a definite shortage of coastal shipping ; and the position was not helped by ] shipping delays such as were occurring I at Greymouth this week through bad weather and unfavourable conditions. | There were large quantities of timber j for Wellington and Auckland on the j skids for which insufficient provision | had been made for shipping, and there I hid not appear to be any prospect of 1 relief. Weather and bar conditions had been favourable for some months, but for ihe next two months would probably get worse, thus further complicating! the problem of getting the maximum , use from the restricted shipping space j available. For the past two days the majority of the vessels in port at Greymouth have been unable to take their de--1 parture because of heavy seas on the bar. while two remain in the roadstead awaiting berthing, and the Totara has been diverted to Westport, j The Te Aroha. the latest arrival, suf-; fered a severe buffeting entering the; 1 heads yesterday morning.—P.A.