C—3

CHAPTER XII.—TIMBER CONTROL 100. Timber Production Advisory Committee. —The Timber Production Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of the Commissioner of State Forests, held three meetings during the past year. The membership of the Committee remained unchanged. Many problems affecting the sawmilling industry, but mainly those connected with man-power, supply of equipment, and transport, were discussed and appropriate recommendations were made. Timber Workers' Housing: Once again the main work of the Committee was in connection with the administration of the Timber Workers' Housing Scheme under Part 111 of the Finance Act (No. 2), 1946. The Scheme is under the control of the State Advances Corporation, but applications for houses are made in the first instance to the Committee, which acts in an advisory capacity to the Corporation. In order to expedite the progress of applications, two meetings of the special sub-committee were held during the year. Altogether 89 applications for 373 houses were considered during the past year. Since the inception of the Scheme the Committee has received and dealt with 124 applications for 513 houses, as follows

A further 13 applications for 51 houses were under action at the 31st March. Many difficulties in implementing this Scheme have now been overcome, and it is pleasing to note that as at 31st March, 44 houses had been erected, while a further 81 houses were in various stages of construction. During the year the Timber Workers' Housing Regulations were gazetted. Under these regulations the Committee is responsible for the collection of annual returns of sawn timber from all sawmillers and for advising the State Advances Corporation of the individual and total amounts of levy due. The levy, which is payable to the State Advances Corporation, together with payments due from the houses, funds a pool which bears the cost of the Scheme. In the practical application of this Scheme it is becoming increasingly apparent that the primary objectives of improving the standard of sawmill accommodation, fulfilling and assuring the industry's labour requirements, and increasing timber production will ultimately be attained. 101. Industrial Man-power.—Movements of man-power in the sawmilling industry during the year are referred to in paragraph 72. The following statistics collected by the Department of Labour and Employment show the actual increase that has taken place in the total man-power employed in sawmills and which accounts largely for the increased output in sawn timber for the year. These figures cover sawmilling in its widest sense and include persons engaged in resawing and dressing of timber :

Labour Force in Bush and Town Sawmills

57

Committee's Decision. Applications. Houses. (1) Recommended to receive houses 87 388 (2) Deferred pending satisfaction of priority claims 9 3 (3) Declined 29 107 (4) Consequently withdrawn by applicants 6 15

— Town. Bush. Total. April, 1947 .. .. 2,003 5,812 7,816 November, 1947 2,093 6,094 8,187 April, 1948 2,171 6,561 8,732