BEST IN NEW ZEALAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16542, 28 September 1921, Page 10

BEST IN NEW ZEALAND.

SOUTHLAND TIMBER MILL. What is described by Mr C. M. Malfroy, Government Milling Expert, a the finest and most up-to-date- timber mill in New Zealand was recently open ed at Port Craig (more familiarly known as MussA Beach), a little place in Southland, on the south coast, about seventy miles west from Invercargill. The new mill has been established as a result of the enterprise of the Marlborough Timber Company, a Christchurch syndicate, and it has been started in a new place* altogether, where there are immense tracts ol splendid native bush. The locality is a considerable distance from a railway and has no proper road communication with Invercargill, bo in order to overcome these difficulties the company is developing a port specially for the timber trade. ‘ * The company deserves the greatest credit for the manner in which it has launched out with this new enterprise,” said Mr Malfroy to a reporter last night.’ “ It has tapped a large area previously undeveloped and tho mill will bo able to keep going at full speed, turning out 40,000 superficial feet :i day for many years to come. Those concerned deserve tho best wishes oi th© whole community for the way they have tackled this very important matter.” The mill was constructed to the ordei of tho company by Mr D. D. Wilder, and the many mechanical contrivances connected with it will save the men an enormous amount of labour, th© logs being seldom handled from the bush bank to the final jilank. Out on the bush bank an aerial cable, working on a half-mile radius, carries the logs to the tramway, about ten minutes being required for the logs to complete the journey. On arrival at the tramline th© logs are dumped on a bank, from where they are lifted by a donkey engine to the waiting trucks for conveyance to the mill. On arrii r al at the mill th© logs are deposited upon a bench where they are picked up by travelling chains to the saw. bench. B. operating various levers the sawyer can regulate tho cuts he requires from the logs as they travel towards the large circular saws, that turn the rough log into finished timber. After being dealt with on the sawyer’s bench the planks travel along chains and moving platforms to the docking saws, which are also operated by levers, and the planks are docked to the required length with a minimum amount of effort. The finished article then passes down a moving platform to th© wharf, where it is stacked ready for shipping. While the planks are being dealt with by a part of the machinery the filches and §Jabs are carried into a hogget* which minces them up, before sending the pulped mass down to the engine- room where it is mechanically fed to the fires that generate the steam in the 400-li.p. engine that drives the mill.