FOREST PRODUCTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11255, 6 July 1922, Page 3

FOREST PRODUCTS

WORK IN MALAY STATES INTERESTING DETAILS FROM FORESTRY EXPERT. ORDER OUT OF CHAOS. A recent visitor to Wellington was Dr F. AY. Foxworthy, Forest Research Officer to the Government of the Malay Federated States. He had much of interest to say regarding the methods employed in handling forest products in the Malay States. The forestry work of the Malay States Government was reorganised, in 1918 by the then Assistant InspectorGeneral of Forests in India. Dr Foxworthy was appointed in. July of that year to organise the forest research work the department. In August, 1921, he obtained his first assistant, and in November of this year will receive a silviculturist to supervise that branch of the work. An appropriation of 350,009 dollars (one dfjlav** 2s 4d) has been secured for a forest survey of the whole of the country. This 1 work is expected to be completed within three years. Milling conditions within the country arc bad, and the Government is faced with the problem of undertaking practically the whole of .this work. For this purpose six logging engineers are now being appointed, although it is intended to employ them on the forest survey for the first two years of their engagement. RESEARCH WORK. Tlig research work to date has been confined to a classification of the commercial woods and td a study of the guttapercha .industry. Before the advent of the present research branch a disastrous state of affairs existed in the purchase of timber supplies by tile various Government departments. For instance, one Chinese contractor wished to surrender his claims to a bush being worked on behalf of the Railway Department at a rate of 38 dollars per ton, instead of 125 dollars per ton, which was being offered by the Public Works Department for work on the adjoining tract. A Central Government Timber Buying Agency was therefore established by the Forest- Service for the purchase, storage, and seasoning of all supplies purchased by Government departments. Practically the whole of the guttapercha industry is gradually falling into the hands of the Government. The unit of Measure is known an the pikul, and is equal to 133 l-31b. The cost of production is approximately 100 dollars per pikul, and the present market price 440 dollars (1919 war price 760 dollars).

CHINESE ANp LABOUR, Ninety per cent, of the timber in*, dustry is in the hands of small Chinese contractors. The labour- is almost entirely Chinese coolie, although a few Malays are employed in certain districts. Probably the wastage in these forests is greater than in any other part of the world. A large number of the trees possess buttressed roots, and a stump from ten to fifteen feet high ie usually left in the forest. The logging road is peculiar to the country; sleepers six or seven inches in diameter about eight feet long are laid about 3500 to the mile; rails (3in x 3in), in cross-section, are often added to the road bed, but are not an absolute necessity.. A siding of this construction is led to every tree felled in the forest. After felling, a loft bolt is cut from the butf end of the log and left in the forest simply because it custom to do so. Logs are hauled up to 60ft in length and 4ft in diameter on a rough form of sledge .by a team of Chinese coolies working in harness. Tlie waj’s are greased by a chorus leader, who preceden his team with a pail of tallow and fat and a large mop, with which he liberally besmears each sleeper. 'The limit of economical haul by this method is approximately 10,000 sleepers on three miles. The road usually runs to the nearest stream or tidal water, where the logs are loaded into Junks and shipped to Singapore or some other milling centre. These junks take two weeks To sau 150 miles to Singapore.