THE TIMBER SHORTAGE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10542, 19 March 1920, Page 6

THE TIMBER SHORTAGE

RAILWAYS TO BLAME FAILURE TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT TRUCKS. Complaint has been made by a correspondent in a letter to an Auckland paper that the real cause of the present shortage of timber is the failure of the Railway Deptartment to provide sufficient trucks to carry the timber from the milling districts to the towns, “The sawmiller is doing his part in trying to increase production,” states the writer, “hut the more he increases hig output the more he has to hold from marketing, as the wagons supplied by tiio Railway Department are lessening in number every month.” Auckland timber merchants, inteiv viewed on the subject, agreed that although there was a shortage of trucks this was by no means responsible for the present position. “I think the department is doing its best with the rolling stock available,” remarked on© manager. “The increase in the coal output has made extra demand on the supply of trucks lately, and there have teen fewer left to carry timber. The real trouble is shortage of labour back in. the forest, not in the number of truck* to carry the timber from the mills.'’ This view was supported by the mam ager of another largo milling firm, which procures most of its timber from the Rotorua district. “We received word from our mills about three weeks ago tliat thero was difficulty in getting trucks,” he said, “but I do not think this factor counts for a great deal in the present position, although of course it aggravates it. The real shortage is caused by the lack of bush-hands. The mill? simply cannot fill their orders, because the men arc not thero to pro. cure the timber. There is also a shortage of labour at the mills, but it is not nearly so acute as the scarcity of bushtellers. All the reserve stocks held at the mills were used up during the war: since then there has not teen sufficient labour to rebuild this reserve, while we are faced at the same time with an ever-increasing demand.” Timber merchants are endeavouring to secure supplies from every source available, including the West Coast of the South Island ; hut here again short* age of shipping has to be reckoned with. Several contracts have been lat for timber-felling in the Kauaeranga bush, where millions of feet of kauri are available, but so far the contractor* have not been able to obtain enough bush-hands to begin the work.