TIMBER RESOURCES.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 October 1921, Page 1

TIMBER RESOURCES.

MILL OPENED IN SOUTHLAND. CHIUSTCH URC'll. Sept. '29. What, is described by Mr C. M. Malfroy, Government Milling Expert-, as the finest and most up-to-date t'.mlier mill in New Zealand was recently opened at Port Craig (more familiarly known as Mussel Reach), a little place in Southland im the smith coast, about sevent\ miles west from Invercargill. 'l'h,. new mill has been established as a result of the enterprise of the Marlborough Timber Company, a Christchurch syndicate, and it has been started in a new ] lace altogether, where' there are immense tracts ol splendid native bush. The locality is a considerable distance from a railway and has no proper road communication with Invercargill, so in order to Overcome these difficulties the company is developing a port specially lor vhe timber trade. "The company dsserves the greatest credit for the manner in which il has launched out with this new enterprise," said Mr Malfrny to n reporter Inst night. It his tapped a large area previously undeveloped and the mill will be aide to keep going at full speed turning out I". 009 sti| erlieial feet a day for many years to come. 9 hose concerned deserve the best wishes id tlic whole community for the way they have tackled this very important matter.” The mill was constructed to the order o f the company by Mr |). D. Wilder. and the innnv mechanical contrivances connected with it will save the men an enormous amount of lalioiir. the lugs being seldom handled from the hush bank'to the lina! plank. Out on the bush hank an aerial ruble, working on a half-mile radius, carries the logs to the tramway about ten minutes being require,| lor tin’ logs to complete tlu' journey. On arrived at the tramline legs are damned on a hank, from wlier they are lifted hy a donkey engine to the waiting trucks for conveyance to the mill On arrival at tli” mill the lugs are deposited ii|«ni a bench where they are picked up by travelling chains to the mu bench. By operating various lever- the sawyer can regulate the c"is he requires fnmi the lugs • |hi y travel tov. aids the large circular saws that turn the rough log into finished timber. Alter being dealt with mi the s.iwyer's bench the planks travel along chains and moving platforms to the docking saw-, which arc also operaied hy levels .and the planks are docked to the required length with a unniiiiuiii amount of effort. ’I lie finished article then passes down a moving; platform to the wharf, where it is stacked ready for shipping. While the planks are being dealt with by a part of the machinery the filches and slabs are carried into a hugger which mines them up. before s'-ndilig the pulped mass down to the engine-room where it is uifcli.iiiically fed to the tiles that generafe the steam in the IftO-h.p. engine lli.it drives the mill.