TREES FOR POLES

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22064, 10 September 1941, Page 4

TREES FOR POLES

Power Board Diacussion

Some discussion in relation to the purchase of poles took place at a meeting of the South Canterbury Power Board yesterday after the presentation of the report of the General Committee, which contained the following paragraph:—“Your committee recommends to the Board that, in view of the Impossibility of obtaining reasonable delivery of hardwood or concrete poles, and in view of the urgent need for increasing pole stocks, that it be left to the manager and engineer to exercise their discretion in the purchase of creosoted larch poles. The chairman (Mr G. Dash) said that the Board had to have poles, and the engineer (Mr A. F. Lee-Smith) had been able to pick up a few concrete poles In Timaru at a price commensurate with that at which the Board could have produced them. Mr H. J. Mathers asked whether the larch poles had been cut down at the correct season of the year. The larch was a deciduous tree, and had to be cut when the sap was down. He recalled when the Ashburton Power Board had cut down bluegum trees for poles, and had put them in the ground almost 1 fore the songs of the birds had died away, and in consequence they very soon rotted. Mr J. R. Hart: They had to replace some of them within five years. Mr Mathers remarked that some years ago larch trees had been tried in the Mackenzie County, and as they had been cut with the sap In them, they had not lasted any time. To made a good job of it, the creosote should be forced right through the trees.

The engineer said that it was known that the trees had to be cut down at a certain period of the year, and the condition of any trees purchased would be watched.

The engineer was authorised to purchase poles, if necessary.