TIMBER SHORTAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1920, Page 4

TIMBER SHORTAGE

, RAILWAYS TO BLAME

FAILURE TO PROVIDE SUFEI-

CIENT TRUCKS

Complaint has been made by a correspondent in a letter to an Auckland paper that the real cause of the present shortage of timber is the failure of the Railway Department to provide sufficient trucks to carry the timber from the milling districts to the towns. “The sawmiiler is doing his part in trying to increase production,” states the writer, “but the more he .increases his output, the more he has to hold from marketing, as the wagons supplied by the Railway Department are lessening in number every month.” Auckland timber merchants, interviewed on the subject, agreed that al-though-there was a shortage of trucks this was by no means responsible for the present position. “I think the department is doing its best with the rolling stock available,” remarked one manager. “The increase in the coal output has made extra demand on the supply of trucks lately, and there have been fewer left to carry timber. The real trouble is shortage of labour back in the forest, not in the number qf trucks to carry the timber from the mills.”

This view was'‘supported by the manager of another large milling firm, which procures most of its timber from the Rotorua district*. “We received wors from our mills about three weeks ago Hint there was difficulty in getting trucks,” he said, “but I do not think this factor counts for a great deal in the present position, although of coprse it aggravates it. The real shortage is caused by the lack of bush-hands. The mills simply cannot fill their orders, be cause the men are not* there to procure the timber. There is also a shortage of labour at the mills, but .mills is not nearly, so acute as the scarcity of busli-fel lews. All the reserve stocks held at the mills were used up during the war; since then there has not been sufficient labour to rebuild this reserve, while we are faced at the same time with an ever-increasing demand.” Timber merchants are endeavouring to secure supplies from every source available, including the West Coast of the South Island; but here again shortage of shipping lias to be reckoned with. Several contracts have been let for timber-felling in the Kaueranga bush, where millions of feet of l*mn are .available, but so far the contractors have not been able to obtain enough bush-hands to begin the work.