Sawmilling Section.

Progress, Volume XVI, Issue 4, 1 December 1920, Page 88

Sawmilling Section.

[This Section is published by arrangement with the Dominion Federated Sawmillers* Association (Incorp.) in the interests of the Sawmill ins- Industry of N.Z.] Acting Editor : ARTHUR SEED.

Editor’s Notes.

It is with deep regret that we record the death of Sir David Hutchins, at Khandallah, on 10th November last, for it was very largely due to his coming to New Zealand, and to his energetic labours, that the great importance of Forestry to the national welfare began to be fully realised by the people of New Zealand and the Legislature. At the time of his death he was occupied on the completion of his second volume on “ New Zealand Forestry,” and it will be undoubtedly a loss to the cause of Forestry in New Zealand if this work cannot now be published, for, whereas his first volume dealt principally with kauri, the second was to deal with rimu and other trees better known throughout the full length of New Zealand, and consequently in use by a greater body of sawmillers and workers than is kauri, which is confined entirely to the northern part of the North Island. Representations have been been made to the Commissioner of Forests by the Forestry League and the Sawmillers’ Federation with a view to having the late Sir David Hutchins’ M.S. and notes collected and put together, in the hope that the publication may be taken in hand by the Forestry Department as soon as possible. We sincerely hope that this course will be adopted, for, in the mass of information so carefully and laboriously collected by the late Sir David, there is undoubtedly much that would be of high value to New Zealand Forestry and the future of the sawmilling industry.

- We extend our sympathy to Mr. W. T. Irvine, who is at present rather seriously ill, and has been confined to bed for the past few weeks at Sayes Court, Wellington, where he and Mrs. Irvine have been staying for some little time. Leave of absence for two months has been granted him by the Federation, and it is his intention to take a trip to Sydney immediately the doctors will permit, in the hope that a long sea trip may again set him up in his usual health. It is probable that the unceasing work he has. performed for the sawmillers of New Zealand, from the North Cape to Bluff, has largely contributed to his illness, and it will be the wish of all of them that he will have a speedy recovery and be able to enjoy the visit to Australia and a well-earned rest. Many will recall that Mr. Irvine’s last holiday was spent in visiting the “Far North,” and successfully persuading the sawmillers in that district to join the Federation.

There seems a doubt whether the Government intends to print the report of the Director of borestry, Captain L. M. Ellis, which was laid before Parliament last session, and the thanks of every member of the Federation—and, in fact, of all sawmillers in New Zealand, as well as those people interested in forestry—are due to our Federation President, Mr. W. J. Butler, for his able “ Digest ” of Captain Ellis’ exhaustive and valuable report. It is the writer’s privilege to know that Mr. Butler put in a great amount of time and able thought on the “ Digest,” which has now been printed and circulated, among the members c. the Federation. The Forestry League has also secured 200 copies of the “ Digest,” and propose to send it to members, so that the gist of the report will thus reach a wide circle, and be of great value to both institutions by enabling them to bring forward recommendations or suggestions to help forward the work of forestry in New Zealand. The organising and “getting under way” of the Forestry Department appears to be very slow. Is it that Cabinet does not yet realise the importance and urgency of the work in hand? If so, perhaps the circulation of the “Digest” and the resultant recommendations it is hoped will be put before the Ministry by the League and Federation, will give the necessary impetus to “start the log rolling.”

There has undoubtedly been a feeling among those interested in forestry in this country prior to the coming of the late Sir D. Hutchins and Captain Ellis, that the sawmiller is the “ natural enemy ” of forestry, and that “ destructive sawmilling ” was responsible -for the deplorably vast waste of our timber resources. “ Cheap timber,” and consequently timber “ held cheaply ” by everybody in the land has been the root cause of all the past evils in this connection, and past sawmilling methods have been the direct result of this cause. It is only the more recent greatly increased costs of production and transit and consequent higher prices that have made people realise that standing timber has value; hence the greater public interest in forestry. It therefore behoves every sawmiller to realise that the time has been reached when the whole future and perpetuity of the industry depends upon proper forestry being instituted in New Zealand, as it also behoves the people of New Zealand to realise that forestry is useless without the sawmilling industry. The forester and sawmiller, are ‘‘natural partners,” not “ natural enemies,” so let them get together as soon as may be and see to it that the laws and regula-

tions governing both are soon so framed to meet the best interests of both, and consequently the best interests of the people as a whole.

During the absence of Mr. W. T. Irvine on sick leave, Mr. Arthur Seed (address, 153-5 Featherston Street, or Box 226, Wellington) has been appointed acting-secretary of The Dominion Federated Sawmillers’ Association (Incorp.).

A very valuable and informative article by Mr. J. H. Simmonds, of Auckland, entitled “ Private Forestry,” appears in the November issue of the “N.Z. Journal of Agriculture,” and deals with the well-known “ Homebush ” plantation in Canterbury. The article is accompanied with several excellent illustrations of various species of exotics, and should be read by all who are interested in forestry and timber.

In our last issue reference was made to the Government having chartered three vessels to bring timber from the West Coast for the Housing Department. 11l luck seems to have followed these vessels, for none has yet made a trip. The first, the auxiliary schooner “ Lily,” with general cargo from Wellington for Greymouth, went ashore on Kapiti Island, and has become a total wreck, while word has just reached us that the second, the auxiliary barquentine “ Zita” (lately Aratapu), also loaded for Greymouth, has been towed into Nelson on fire. This vessel has been for the past few weeks endeavouring to make Greymouth, but has met a succession of westerly gales and has spent most of the time sheltering about Golden Bay. The telegram from Nelson states that it was believed the fire had been extinguished, but a previous message stated that she had been burning abaft the enginehouse for eighteen hours, so the damage must be considerable. A third vessel which was under engagement to bring timber from Westhaven for the Housing Department, the auxiliary ketch Coronation, recently purchased from Auckland, also me*trouble in that coming from Napier a blade of the propeller was broken by striking some floating obiect and she had to put into Wellington for repairs. While anchored in Evans Bay awaiting these the anchor cable parted in a recent northerly gale, and the vessel was driven ashore, but has since been refloated and is now on slip repairing the damage. These misfortunes are to be deplored, for the shortage of shipping from the West Coast is very acute, as is also the shortage of timber at this end.