AN OTAGO COMPLAINT

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1929, Page 2

AN OTAGO COMPLAINT

FAULT FOUND WITH SAWMILLERS.

DUNEDIN, January 23

Complaints that fairly large quantities of timber supplied for the building of schools was not of the specified quality were made to the meeting ol the Education Board to-day by the architect (Mr J. Rodger). On the work at Cromwell during the past month, the architect reported. “ New class rooms for secondary department—The framework is up and It appeared as if the work was to be bold up for a considerable time waiting for weather-boarding and other dressed lines. This material had not arrived in Cromwell when 1 inspected the work on the loth. The contractor assured me that he had been doing his lest to get the timber forward without success. I wired to the timber merchant*.and received a reply to the eftect that they hoped to get the order completed within a week. Alter my return 1 received a wire from the contractor .idvising me that he had cancelled his order and favoured my suggestion to use Oregon weather-boarding, which be could procure perfectly dry. This would enable him to proceed with the work without further delay, while about six weeks would have elapsed before the red pine would -have been sufficiently seasoned to put into the building. The sa\vmillers complain about so much imported timber being used, yet they fail lamentably when entrusted with an order if such order is for the better class timber.” On the work of building the new school a,t Tninui the report stated, “The framework is up for this building and the levelling of the ground is in” hand. This is another case where the timber merchants have failed to supply timber of the quality specified. More than 70 per cent of the dressed lines has been rejected, in addition to a considerable quantity of the sawn timber. The timber merchant accepts the blame.”

Mr J. Mitchell said the position should be made public. It should be shown that the importation and purchase of imported timber was to some extent apparently the result of the lack of a proper system on the part of the sawmillers generally to provide the community with proper supplies of timber. In view of the agitation which had been going on for a considerable time by the sawmillers to obtain tbe intervention of the Government for a more reasonable opportunity to compete with imported timber the conditions as disclosed by tbe architect should he made widely known. When the State was asked to intervene on behalf of any industry it should he incumbent on the industry to show that it was doing its best to meet public requirements. He moved that a copy of the architect’s reports he forwarded to tlie Government. Mr J. Horn seconded the motion which was carried unanimously.