C—3a

Timber from resaw went on to a traverse, dimensional sizes were permitted to pass to trim-saw table, but flitches were pulled off on to a belt and went back to the resaw on a round-and-round principle. The resaw was therefore fed on one side from the edger, and on the other from returns from the traverse. The resaw was equipped with circular saw, vertical feed rolls, air-operated dial, dimensional setting on one side opening to 10 in., and air-controlled press rolls on the other side opening to 17 in. Standard rates of feed from 100 ft. to 160 ft. per minute. The round-and-round principle, using a dial setting, horizontally fed resaw, is deserving of serious consideration as an improvement on the New Zealand breast bench for softwood cutting. It should give greater speed, more accuracy, and less exertion and skill is required of the operator. A number of other mills were visited, but as they were similar in principle to the three types described it is considered that there is no point in detailing them in this report. The mills visited therefore fall into three main categories : (1) Big-capacity units based on fast headrig Pacific benches, followed by large multiple-saw edgers, and/or gang frames. These units were invariably higher powered and were run at maximum speed. (2) Smaller-capacity units on the same principle, but with less mechanization and less power. (3) Log frame units, mainly single frames, cutting through and through, and followed by multiple-saw edgers. There are many practical operators who will argue that the single-man, electricallycontrolled Pacific carriage with log-turning device is faster and involves less man-power in small timber than does the log frame. They claim also to have greater versatility in cutting customer requirements. • After seeing some of the gun-shot feed carriages with air or electric set works and dogging, log-turners, &c., in operation, I can agree that some operators will live up to their claims in good-quality, free-cutting timber. Nevertheless, I am personally convinced that it would be wrong to accept production figures based on Canadian output, as I do not believe such are possible in the quality of logs available from the exotic forests in New Zealand, nor do I think it possible to secure operators in New Zealand to work these machines at such a high rate of speed. I believe also that it must be admitted that the dimensional cutting produced under these circumstances is far from satisfactory and variations of £ in. are quite common. Confirmation of this is the fact that most mills supplying domestic requirements or special dimensional stock are equipped with high-speed planers, through which the timber is passed to ensure uniformity of size, and this is part and parcel of the normal mill process. Also I doubt if anything is to be gained on the score of installation cost as the price and installation of headrig equipment and band mill will exceed that of log frames. I can say with conviction that, with the exception of the superintendent of Canadian White Pine Co., the operators of the single-gang units are .well satisfied. Logging Equipment in British Columbia Time permitted the inspection of two logging camps only, and to do this it was necessary to hire a " Seabee "pusher amphibian plane, but I spent some further time in discussion with operators and machinery manufacturers particularly in respect to Diesel haulers.

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