TIMBER TROUBLES.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 August 1919, Page 5

TIMBER TROUBLES.

ANXIETY OF MILALERS. » . R-AILXVAY RESUIIPTION NECESSARY TO AVERT ‘DISASTER. A deputation of sawmillers waited on the Prime Minister (Hon VV, F. Massey) and the Minister for Railways (Hbn. W. H. He'rries) on Saturday regarding the position of the timber milling industry during the railway cul'ta.ilnlent.' Mr W. H. Field, M.P., who, with the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, introduced the deputation, said fhere was an impression that the railway collapse was not duo; solely to the coral shortage, but also to the fact that the railway rolling stock was out of order.

The deputation pointed out that the millers were setting up district committees in theirlvarious districts, to‘ deal with the situation as far as possible, and 1+ meeting was to be held in a, few days to decide whether the mills should close down or not. The millers had been keeping their men on and stacking timber, but space had become exhausted, and unless Solll‘o I‘oliof W3B obtained soon, there would be no alternative but to close down. On the Main ’l‘runk line alone over 2000 men were employed; lmlf of them were married, and if they were to be thrown out of work it would he a disaster. Stress was also -laid on the urgent. demand for timber for buildings for returned soldiers and otrhers throughout the DO- - and it was pointed out that the cessation of supplies was gel-iouS]y affecting’ the allied building traces; throughout the country, The miners offered to supply, free of cost, .rata., matai, maire, and tawa firewood for firing the railway engines; ’.l‘h_e Prime Minister replied that the Government Wished to ife‘;§t’Qre7 the carriage of timber :at the ‘earliest possible nlonient, and when the’s/trike‘ in Australia was ended the haulage would be

resumed. He had hbpes that they would not have to wait. many days. As to the railway rolling stock, it was in very good order, and the reason that so many waggons were no£v.in_ the Workshops is that Eidvantage is being taken by the Department of the reduced service to see that the rolling stock is put in thorough repair. The Minister for Railways said the railway curtailment was due solely to the coal shortage. He had been told that to use firewood’ they would have to alter the engine-boxes. However, that suggestion Vifould be further looked into. STATEMENT BY ‘GENERAL MANAGER V

The General Manager of Railways has made the following statement regarding criticism of the Railway Department’s policy contained in a telegrad sent by Mr R. W. Smith, M. P., to the Prime Minister:“In reference to the statement that the Department has refused to rail timber ‘to ‘provikle back cargo Epivessels bringing coal from Australia, I may say that there is evidently a misapprehension as to the position,” said Mr McVilly. “Some weeks ago application was made to; the Department to rail a’ large quantity of timber for the Inga, which was bringing coal for the gaswoi-ks at Wanganui. The Department was not then in a position to convey the timber, but subsequently arranged to run a ‘ special’ with 100,000 feet, when notified that the vessel was ready ot take a timber cargo. Up to the present, no notification to that effect has been received, and as is Well known, the Inga is still lying at the wharf at Castleclifl, Wanganui, with several hundred tons of eoalon board, which the ‘water-siders refuse to unload... The Railway '.D'eyartm*ent is unaware of any intim-a.tion':llaving been giving by ship-owners that they would bring coal to New Zealand on condition that they -orbtazined back loading of timber. On the -contrary, Australian iagents dealing with shipping busi”ness;in a large way "were-. unable?-, throjigh inability to obtainpbottoms, to accept. a firm oii'er by the Railwasf3_De-, pertinent for the conveyance’: of a fargei quantity of ~c.oal from Australia to Newi Zealand. It is understood that the ‘ships, thatggvere .<3l_!_;3§l'tel_‘._e,(l_..V§’._(_3.l:.l'/‘_._Q.\.f _ the Craig line, which are at least) partly manned by» non-union labour, —wh=ich.fact has cau_s_ed_ .consid_eljably_(difliculty over the handlingiof their car-goes’. Both the Joan Craig and the Inga have experienced’ this difiiculty - sin’c'e-' "their arrivalat New Zealand ‘ports. The‘ Department’s position has been placed ‘Before’ ‘l’-’epresm‘lta‘tives ‘of ‘the sawmilling industry on several occasions recently, and members of the last deputation expressed themselves as being satisfied that the Department was. doing everything possible under the present circumstances. Reference was made at the last interview‘ to the case of the ,I:~;;-a_”—’-l\l’.Z. Times.