TIMBER MATTERS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1924, Page 3

TIMBER MATTERS

EFFECT HE RECENT LEGISLATION ( ONSIDKRKD. WELLINGTON. December 3. The usual four-monthly meeting of the Dominion Saw millers’ Association was held in Wellington last week. Delegates attended from every sawmilliug c cut re of the Dominion. CARRIAGE OK TIMBER. The effect of recent amendments to the Public- Works Act was under consideration, as both this Act and the Motor Vehicles Act will necessarily affect the carriage of timber by road, ami it is considered that in some districts it may he necessary lor sawmillers to put down tramways to obviate the necessity cd meeting the heavy license lees and other charges made on the carriage of timber over county roads.

FRUIT cask trade. Another matter that occupied considerable attention was the position alfecliug the supplies of timber for the Nelson fruit case trade for the coining season. It was slated that it was known that a considerable cargo ol American hemlock boxes had been landed for this trade at prifes at which it is difficult for the local box makers to coni|iete, hut. it was said also that it was understood that hemlock is an unsatisfactory timber from the nailing point of view. Boxes made of this imported timber were said to l;c liable to split when being nailed, and it was hardly likely that they would he found suitable for the apple export trade. THE INDUSTRY AND THE

CINEMA. It was decided to support the Main ‘mill: millers in tle-ir undertaking to

have a moving picture taken ol the whole of the timber industry. SAWMILL TRANSPORT.

For years the horse has been gradu,ll v turned out h.v the cities. He lias ,oon repaced oil many farms by me■hanical contrivances, and now his rse‘iilnpes in the timber milling country is likely to receive something more than , severe check. The matter of the rephr ement of the horse by motors i- one ol great inlet est to sawmilh-rs and the subject "as dismissed at a recent, meeting of the executive of the Di'ininioii Sawinillers' Association.

The progress made in the development of petrol rail tractors for use on hush tramways was outlined and it wits stated just as the motor vehicle was displacing the horse from the cite streets, so also did it hid fair to dis--1 lace the horse from the hush tramwavs.

If this estimate of the position i correct, in a few years the teams ol a dozen or so horses drawing logs alonthe hush tramways may he tilings o the past.

WINTER FUEL. Fverv winter one of A\ollington •• I problems is how to get an adequate supply of household fuel at an accept- I able price, and for this reason, a subject which is now under consideration by the executive of the Dominion Saw. millers’ Association is of partieinlar interest here No doubt- it interests all town populations, more particularly ! those of the larger towns. At the last meeting of the nssociatifin it was decided to make representations also respecting the matter of securing cheaper rates of freight on the carriage of sawmilling slabs. There are vast heaps of these slabs at country sawmills, and they <oidd he cut into suitable lengths so as to provide an abundance of cheap firewood _ for people in the cities if n lower freight rate were charged.