NEW ZEALAND TIMBERS

Southland Times, Issue 19655, 4 October 1922, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TIMBERS

COMPETITION WITH AUSTRALIA SUGGESTED AFFORESTATION SCHEME That New Zealand timbers are at least equally suitable as Australian hardwoods, for electric-line poles, was definitely affirmed by several delegates to the Power Boards’ Conference, which assembled at Parliament House last week.

Mr J. D. Johnston, chairman of the Te Awamatu Power Board, moved:—“That provision be made in the Electric Power Boards Act, to allow boards to acquire land for the purpose of growing timber suitable for electric-line poles.” The mover said that his board had sent £16,000 to Australia for hardwood jxiles. Mr E. S. Ranson (Dannevirke) seconded the resolution.

Mr W. *J. Holdsworth (Auckland) opposed the proposal, as likely to incur expenditure that would not show a return within the present generation. “Some of the New Zealand poles are showing more life than Australian hardwoods,” said Mr W. J. Waters, engineer of the Manawatu-Oroua Board. The imported poles had a life of not more than 25 years, he said.

Mr T. Armstrong (Banks Peninsula) said that, had it not been for locally-grown timbers, much of this work in his area could not have gone on. Many of the Australian poles were valueless, and had to be rejected by the board. Inquiries made in other districts showed that Australian poles did not last beyond 12 years; New Zealand blue-gum poles had a life of 20 years at least, in specific cases.

“I don’t, want to throw cold water on the project,” said the Minister of PublicWorks (Hon. J. G. Coates), who presided at the conference, “but I think it would be advisable to let the project stand over for twelve months. It seems to me that your function is to carry out reticulation, at the cheapest, possible cost to the consumer. I am in entire smypathy with the proposal, but we can only go a certain distance. Ratepayers are apt to question the policy of appropriating your moneys to a treeplanting scheme, or using for that purpose the profits on the sale of electricity, which should go to them. You should prove that you can carry out the work of reticulation and so gain the confidence of your consumers.” Referring to the matter in his address to the conference said:—“l am glad to note the. interest that the boards are showing in the question of the plantations for growing trees suitable for their future requirements in poles and timber, and I understand that they will have the hearty co-operation of the Forestry Department in drawing up their plans in this direction. It Is of course essential that, the correct varieties of trees shoukl be selected for planting, as experience in the past with the wrong varieties has not been very successful for the purpose of poles. The Department has adopted the policy of planting the spare land obtained for hydroelectric purposes in timber and a corresponding policy will certainly be remunerative to the boards in the future and will result in otherwise waste lands bang put to a useful purpose. I will be glad to consider the proposals that the boards may put forward for such planting under proper supervision. Mr Armstrong suggested that local authorities be co-operated with in any scheme such as this. Mr R. Milligan (North Otago I moved an amendment, "That it be a recommendation "to the Forestry Department that they make provision for planting trees suitable for electric-line poles, and that the question of amending the Electric Power Boards Act be considered in twelve months’ time.” The amendment was agreed to on the voices.