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102. Industrial Man-power.—The expansion of timber requirements for defence works and for the manufacture of containers for the export of foodstuffs and other commodities to the war zone necessitated the maximum possible product ion from all operating sawmills, and to achieve this objective the notices set out hereunder were issued in pursuance of the Industrial Man-power Emergency Regulations 1942, while to assist in dealing with the difficult man-power position in the timber industry the Timber-workers Registration Order 1942 (Serial number 1942/130) was issued. This order required every male person eighteen years of age and over in civil employment who had twelve months' experience in some branch of timber-work to register within seven days. Notices issued during the year in respect of hours of operation of sawmills are: — (а) In accordance with a War Cabinet decision that increased timber-supplies were essential, sawmillers were notified that the existing requirements to operate on the basis of a forty-cight-hour week must be observed during the weeks in which Easter and Anzac Day (1942) occurred, while this requirement was extended to sawmillers in the South Island who were not at that time otherwise affected: (б) Commencing on 4th May, 1942, sawmillers in Southland Conservancy whose production of beech timber was not less than 50 per cent, of sawmill output, all insignis-pine sawmillers in Southland, Canterbury, and Nelson Conservancies, and all sawmillers on the west coast and Westport-Karamea district were directed to maintain maximum rate of production for at least forty-eight hours each week until further notice: (c) An existing notice requiring insignis-pine sawmillers in the North Island to operate forty-eight hours each week was withdrawn as from 25th July, 1942. This step followed the change of production from cheese to butter because of the unsuitability of insignis pine for butter-boxes: (d) Commencing on 23rd November, 1942, certain insignis-pine sawmillers in the North Island whose man-power and log-supply position enabled them to do so were directed to maintain maximum rate of production for at least forty-eight hours each week. This was necessary to satisfy a greatly increased demand for boxes and crates for the export of foodstuffs to the fighting Services: (e) All sawmillers were directed to observe normal working-hours in all sections of their operations on the King's Birthday: (/) Certain selected sawmillers in the North Island were directed to operate all sections of their operations on Sundays, 7th and 21st June, 1942: Note.—Notices in respect of the directions referred to in the foregoing paragraphs (a) to (/) were not published, but were served on the individual Sawmillers affected. (g) A notice published in Gazette, 1942, page 2517, required undertakings in the sawmilling industry to observe Labour Day as a holiday, and permitted the undertakings to operate forty hours during the week affected : (h) Sawmilling Industry (Christmas Holiday) Notice 1942 (Gazette, 1942, page 2825) required every sawmilling undertaking to continue operations until the normal closing-hour on Wednesday, 23rd December, 1942, and to resume not later than the usual time on sth January, 1943. In effect this notice varied existing requirements regarding weekly operation of forty-eight hours during the two weeks affected. All the aforementioned notices provided for relaxation or variation of requirements in individual cases by consent of the Timber Controller. The deterioration in the general man-power position in the industry which set in from the outbreak of hostilities and culminated in the reduced production of 1941-42 continued through the early months of 1942. Temporarily it was then arrested by a decision that no more men were to be taken and as many as possible released by the armed Services as rendering a more productive contribution to the general Allied war effort than in the fighting forces. Due, however, to the unavoidable turnover, particularly in the older age groups, the position became so serious towards the end of last year that as a result of strong representations War Cabinet decided in January, 1943, that up to 120 Grade A skilled bushmen and key mill personnel should be withdrawn from the Army, and if necessary from overseas training units. The - position will be further relieved by the release of men as a result of the recent Army industrial census and local defence reorganization. Unfortunately, the shortage of skilled bushmen and other key logging operatives has been so acute that the reduced bush staffs available to many mills have been unable, even when working forty-eight hours and longer, to supply sufficient logs to maintain sawing operations at the mills for fully extended hours—viz., forty-eight per week—and it is for this reason that emphasis has been placed upon the release of bushmen. The Minimum Weekly Wage Order has also assisted to maintain mills at maximum productive capacity. 103. Vehicle and Tractor Impressment and Petrol and Tire Conservation,.—The {Arrangement, as outlined in the last report to conserve petrol and tires was continued throughout the timber industry with good results, and arrangements were concluded during the year whereby most of the timber produced in the Taupo district will be hauled in railway wagons over nineteen miles of the Taupo Totara Timber Co.'s line with marked savings of both petrol and tires. The extent to which railway has replaced motor haulage is indicated by the fact that for the first time since the peak timber production year of 1926 one four-weekly period of timber loadings has amounted to 60,000 tons. As a further means of assisting the industry, a complete survey was made

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