DEMOLITION WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23851, 30 December 1940, Page 8

DEMOLITION WORK

DOMINION EQUIPMENT TIMBER JACKS IN LONDON SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION (From the Official War Correspondent- with the New Zealand Forces iti England) LONDON, Dec. 27 New Zealand timber jacks, patented and made in the Dominion, are being added to the standard equipment of the Royal Engineer construction units engaged in demolition and rescue work after London bombings. A demonstration last week by men of the New Zealand Forestry Unit opened the eyes of the authorities to the timber jacks' usefulness in making heavy lifts from awkward positions. "I am convinced," wrote the War Office engineer in charge of this work, "that the New Zealand jacks would be invaluable for use in London under present conditions." Accordingly a supply is being ordered from New Zealand by cablegram. Meanwhile the War Office has requested the use of a dozen jacko from the Foresters, each of the three companies of whom came overseas equipped with 14. These dozen were sent to London to-day from the country in charge of two expert New Zealand hush workers, who are being attached to the Royal Kngineers for several weeks as inst met ors. Thus the new equipment is being made immediately available for urgent rescue work, and I itish troops are being given an opportunity to become accustomed to its use before a general issue of the jack arrives from New Zealand. Suggestions for the use of timber jacks in bombed areas were first made j)v Colonel J. G. Elliott, officer commanding the Forestry Lnit. In the opinion of the Salvage Corps engineer and senior officers who have seen it working in the woods, it is probable that demolition gangs in all the big cities will shortly be issued with the New Zealand product.

One of the pioneers of the timber industry. Mr. I'". Mander. of lieinncra, estimated that these jacks have been in use here lor 'years. I hey were manufactured in large numbers by the engineering fi'in of A. and G. Price, of Thames, and used to be known as

• • Price's jacks." An old resident ot Thames said the hushmcn would not on any account be without these jacks, which were invaluable to them in their work, in the hands of an expert they could lie made to do wonders in the moving of huge logs to be got out of the bush. He described the invention as a very simple contrivance. The Thames correspondent of the ITkit.M.i) states that over 30,000 of these jacks have now been made by A. and (>. Price, who first supplied them to Messrs. Bagnall brothers, timber millers, for use at their mills at Thames and on the Ilaiiraki Plains. With their aid one man can lift from seven to eight tons, and no timber contractor would be without them. The timber jacks with which the New Zealand foresters now in Kngland are equipped were given to them as a donation from the firm of A. and G. Price.