Post-Cutters May Lose Market

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1949, Page 5

Post-Cutters May Lose Market

GREYMOUTH, Deeembor 1. Si'attered throngliout the length and l.icadth of the West Coast as units in :tr; t'xpancling. ricli, but hard-wotking inffiistrv, the silver pine post-eutlers :: t i- fac'ing a ?erious trade reverse. This i.eeau«e Xortli Tsland raerchantS' have G-.-n granted lieences to iniport hardv.i.tid posts from Anstralia. \ considerable proportion of silver pi-'i- posts cut on the Coast are shipped montli to the "North Tsland, par-ti'-nlarly to Wellington, Napier and Oi- ii.,1 ne districts. In spite of a steady inerease i ra the MnidnM- of men engaged in entting silpine posts, production has been unfd.lf to keeji np with the eonstant deiu:i -,d, and this 110 doubt led to the suct'al efforts to obtain posts from Ausiraii.n. Tii'.ugh possible loss of North Island n,as!:.-ts will inflnenee plans for t'urllnT e\pansion of the industrv on the Coast, it is not expected to prejudiee funvnt operations. This is because of ati unsatistied demand by Canterlnnv farmers and even on the Coast itself for feneing posts, and may mean 1ha more posts will retail in the Routh Isiand. Cutttng of feneing posts, sleepand poles has increased eonsider;di'v mi tlie Coast in past years and naav hnndreds of men are engaged sii'glv or in eo-operative groups removposts largelv from cut-over or isolated pockets of tiinber. Rieh retnrns are usually obtained by ihe cutters, but are the rewards only ffr long hours of laborious work in diffitailt nmddy conditions.