THE TIMBER SHORTAGE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17697, 24 October 1919, Page 2

THE TIMBER SHORTAGE.

MAIN TRUNK MILLS' EXPERI-

ENCE

Railway department

EXONERATED

(Per Press Association.) MARTON, October 23

Referring to the Press Association message in the morning papers re the shortage of timber, a Rangitikei Advocate representative this morning interviewed the chairman of the Rangitikei Sawmillers' Association, who stated that, so far as the Main I Trunk millers were concerned, everything was being done to relieve the shortage. The output of the members of the Rangitikei Association last month was nearly four million feet, compared with two and a-quar-ter millibn feet in thj* same month last year. So far as the railway service is concerned, the Press Association message is inaccurate, as the Railway Department is doing all it possibly can to transport timber and a considerable improvement over normal services is noticeable. In support of this he stated that, for the six weeks immediately after the railway cut was removed —from August 24th to October 6th —the railways lifted from Main Trunk mills twelve and ahalf million feet of timber, an increase of approximately foiir millions corresponding with the period last year. Since October 6th, the railway figures were further increased, and they are now lifting approxi- J mately a thousand waggons of timber weekly, totalling about three million feet weekly. The supply of waggons is plentiful, and millers are taking advantage of it. He further stated that no building timber was exported from any of the Associated mills.