STATE SAWMILL FOR KAIPARA

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 25 February 1915, Page 2

STATE SAWMILL FOR KAIPARA

COMMISSIONERS AT HELENSVILLE

LIKE many other Commissions sprung upon Helensville at the last moment, the State Sawmill Commission, comprising Messrs Phillip Turner (chairman), H. P. Cavanagh, and — Pollock, all of the Lands Department, dropped down amongst us almost unawares, and held a sitting of about four hours' duration in the Town Board offices, on Wednesday, giving no time whatever for organisation of experts and others residing miles inland. Howovor, quite a doien old identities and others well versed in the timber industry, were examined, when one and all gave their testimony that if the Government desired to make a State sawmill pay in the North, as was proposed by utilising Mr Jas. Trounson's 20 million feet of kauri and other timber out Dargaville way, the town or environs of Helensville was most suitable as a distributing centre both north and south. The timber could be floated down the Wairoa at a saving of over one shilling per 100 ft; sawn on the spot at Helensviile, and manufactured (for that matter), thence distributed from one end of the Dominion to the other, Southern supplies being readily shipped from her-e as return cargo to distant produce-districts After the Commissioners had had a look round the place —two excellent sites of 20 acres each being offered for a sawmill —the party, together with Messrs Jas. Stewart (a Town Board Commissioner), and F. Dye (the chairman of the Waitemata County Council) went out to view the Mount Rex site. It. is needless almost for us in this issue to bring before the public the advantages accruing to a State sawmill in Helensville.