TOTARA POSTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 31, 7 December 1943, Page 5

TOTARA POSTS

PRICE CONSIDERED EXORBITANT INSPECTION OF FOREST AREA Reporting on the recent inspection of the totara forest in the Galatea riding, the county chairman. Mr J. L. Burnett, at last Tuesday's meeting of the Whakatane County Council stated that the Works Committee in company with Cr Cawte, Messrs Sull'ivan, M.P., Sim, M.P., P. E. Lynds Post Contractor,, J. L. Hahn, Forest Ranger and Runciman, Manager Wilson Timber Mills, inspected part of the Mangawiri Yailcjr forest, of JiOOO acres, which includes about GOO acres of totara. .1 lie trip had been a most interesting one he said and the committee was able to make some pertinent observations regarding the expense involved in securing totara posts lor the RangVtaiki farmers. The present operator was not "permitted to split standing timber alive or dead, but had to be content with the wind-: falls only. His charge was £11 10s j)cr hundred, in spite of these handicaps yet when the posts were brought to Whakatane the charge was £24 per 100. In other words it 1 was costing £12 10s per 100 to bring them down from the bush. The committee was delinitely of the opinion, that the cost in this respect was too high.

Cr Smith said that, without exception. tiic bu-sh was the best be had ever seen. The, trees were remarkable lor size and formation and from what he observed the doer had done little damage. Cr MeGougan added that he also had been surprised, the. bush almost equalled the kauri .forests north of Auckland. The council agreed that Messrs. Sullivan, M.P. and Sim, M.P., bs respectfully requested to representto the Hon. Minister o£ Forests the desirability of creating a forest reserve in the Mangaw'iri Valley, and that, only dead totara fallen or standing remain available for post timber. It was also resolved that the- — Price Stabilisation Commission ber— asked to investigate selling price of Lolara posts from dead timber which are purchased by carters and/or middlemen for £11 to £12 per at post dump in the bush, to whipfo dump, lorries may be taken, and sold in Whakatane at £24 to £26 per 100.