LOCAL SAWMILLING ENTERPRISE.

Shannon News, 12 May 1922, Page 3

LOCAL SAWMILLING ENTERPRISE.

OPERATIONS IN TOKOMARU VALLEY.

It is not so many years ago that the Tokoinaru Valley was the scene of considerable sawmilling activity, the upper levels of the Tararuas in that neighbourhood being heavily clad in marketable timbers. The scene of those milling- days was at the site of the Arapeti camp in connection with ’the Mangahao hydroelectric scheme. In fact, the tunnel which is to pierce the range in the direction of Shannon was opened among the accumulations of sawdust left by '‘he old mill. Though that mill carried on actively for some years, it by no means exhausted the resources of the Tokoinaru Valley, for further to the north the hillsides are well timbered with rimu, tof.ara, matai, rata and other nullable trees. This country is now to be exploited by a new Levin firm, the mill site being a little more than a mile from Arapeti, and on the eastern side of the Tokoinaru stream.

TOKOMARU VALLEY SAWMILLING , COMPANY, LTD.

The new enterprise that is entering upon its career is the Tokoinaru Valley Sawmilling. Co., Ltd., a private formed to take over from Harvey and Co., Ltd., their cutting rights in Tokoinaru Valley. The shareholders are J., E., and H. Harvey, and F. Plaster, all of Levin. Mr J. Harvey is manager and Mr Plaster secretary,

THE MILL, The mill, which has been completed with the exception of a few small details, is excellently situated on the banks of the Tokomaru stream. The main building is 80 feet long with a width of 37 feet, and is very substantially constructed throughout. The logs will be brought in from the bush and deposited on the skids from the trollies, and then pass to the breaking-down bench, where two huge saws, one six feet and the' other five feet in diameter, will cut them into flitches. The breaking down bench is provided with friction feed, which returns the junk timber automatically to the breaking-down sawyer for the next, cut. This is a great time-sayer, and the handling of heavy material is reduced to a minimum. The flitches from the breaking-down bench next pass down another set of skids to the breast-bench sawyer, who converts the material into all . sorts f .timber. As the timber comes off the saw it is received’ by the tailer-out, who stacks it ready for transport to its ultimate destination. The whole arrangement from the time the logs are placed on the breaking-down bench until, the finished product is 'eceived by the ta.iler-out is most convenient, with a minimum of handling on the pia.rt of the workmen.. The foundations of all fixtures have been embedded in concrete, and all the upper works solidly set and braced giving the' plant a substantial appearance and ensuring it. a long ten ure of life and usefulness. A water supply for the engine and mill will be drawn from the Tokomaru stream by a special pumping plant, which will raise the water to tanks overhead. Pipes lay the water on to the saws, also to a fiuming below the saws, which will carry the sawdust away to the dump. The pumping plant’s capacity is 7000 gallons per hour. Power to run the whole of the operations will be supplied by a 16h.p. engine.

The mill is supplied with the latest type of hauling engine to draw the logs from the stump to the tramway, from which point they can be easily conveyed to the mill. At present the hauler is situated quite close to the mill, for there is about a monih’s timber supplies in the neighbourhood. The hauler has been put. to work and has acted handsomely, bringing in logs from a point a quarter of a mile away with the greatest ease by means of a revolving drum and wire rope. The hauler "is easily transportable, and when the bush in its vicinity is cut out, the engine is moved further Into the bush, the logs being taken on to the mill by mean's of trollies. By means of the hauler, the logs are brought in very quickly, and it is fully expected the skids will always have, a full supply of logs, so that the mill will be able to run even when the bushmen tare prevented from working by wet weather.

A dozen or more men will be constantly employed, and a comfortable cookhouse and sleeping quarters have been provided for them. FUTURE OPERATIONS. . The mill is to be taken over this week on lease by Mr J. Howard, of Levin - who will mill the timber and deliver it into the company’s yards at Levin and Shannon. For this purpose Mr Howard has purfchased two additional motor trucks to cope with the strenuous haulage over the range.

The Company’s cutting rights extend over 060 acres, which are estimated to keep the plant employed

for 15 years, the cutting capacity of the mill being 6000 feet, per day. The enterprise of the company is to be comniended. A substantial and well-found mill with an extensive area of millable timber are a combination capable of good results, and it only requires a continuance of the energy and ability that have brought the project into being .to achieve complete success. This will be the sincere wish of the whole district.