FROM THE HEART OF THE WILD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2699, 19 February 1916, Page 9

FROM THE HEART OF THE WILD

MILLING THE BUSH THE IMMENSE TIMBER INDUSTRY The Waimarino district, having been carved out of the.heart of tho forest, naturally lent itself to, sawmilling. In the very early days circumstances precluded any idea of tho timber being an asset; in fact, in those times it was reckoned a drawback. A few of the farsighted settlers wished to conserve the timber on their holdings, but the policy of the then Government forced the cutting down and burning of this potential source of wealth. Aiid so thousands of acres of land, after the expenditure of money and labour in putting them, under grass, were less valuable in later years than they would have been if left in their virgin state. At least one settler was deprived of his holding because he refused to carry out tho suicidal policy; he would not send good money up ill smoke. Tho pioneers in the sawmilling industry were Messrs. Bennett and Punch, who installed a small plant, but the timber they cut then was purely for local use. With tho advent of the Main Trunk Railway there was a rush to swure milling sites, and to-day the district is said to be tho most prolific timber-producing locality iu the Dominion. Naturally, the areas adjacent to tho Main Trunk line were,the first selected for mills, and Raetihi got rather little benefit from the industry. Time and circumstances, and the progress of the branch line, have brought the possibilities of milling right to the door of Raetihi; there are about 10,000 acres of timber laud within a reasonable distance of the town. It is expected that the next two years will see at least five new mills within a mile and a half of the town. The effect of this is calculated to send the town rapidly ahead. Other large areas farther front the town will iu their thrn he •nilled.

The effect of the milling of these areas will not be transitory, for, as the timber is removed, the' land will yield profit as dairying country.