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Box-factory Capacity during the coming year will be considerably reduced. The K.D.V. factory at Auckland is being rebuilt, but it will probably be late in the new season before manufacture recommences. The Owhango factory is not being rebuilt, while, in addition, a long-established box-factory in the Main Trunk region is expected to close down shortly as a result of depletion of white-pine supplies. The remaining box-factories will be fully capable of supplying boxes to the maximum extent of the timber available. In view of the potential shortage of fibre boxes, however, and the very limited supplies of butter-box timber in the North Island, it is vitally important that more shipping be provided for moving west-coast timber and boxes to the North Island. 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 1945-46. Towards the end of the year the membership of the Committee was enlarged by the addition of one representative each from the West Coast Sawmillers" Association and from the Nelson, Westland, and Marlborough Timber Industry Employees* Industrial Union of Workers. The most important aspect of the Committee's work was an investigation of the standard of accommodation available at bush sawmills, as a result of which recommendations embodying a definite scheme for a large-scale improvement were submitted to the Government. A man-power survey has shown that the timber industry must recruit an additional 2,000 men in order to reach the post-war production objective. The principal obstacle deterring men from offering for bush work- is the very inferior standard of accommodation for married workers available at many mills. The Committee was unanimously of the opinion that accommodation is the key to increased production. Important reforms are proposed, the aim of which will be to provide a standard of housing and general amenities at bush mills which will compare reasonably with urban living conditions. The implementation of this scheme, which was initiated by the Forest Service, will be the most progressive move in the history of sawmilling in New Zealand. 101. Declaration of Timber Industry as Essential. —During the year the following undertakings were added to the Declaration of Essential Undertakings No. 99 (Gazette r 1943, page 433), issued pursuant to the Industrial Man-power Emergency Regulations 1944 (Serial'number 1944/8), and applying to the maintenance and protection of exotic forests owned by local bodies and afforestation companies : (i) All afforestation operations being carried out by the State Forest Service. Dated 24th August, 1945, and published in Gazette, 1945, page 1108. (ii) One afforestation company. Dated 31st January, 1946, and, published in Gazette, 1946, page 84. Revocations of declarations of essential undertakings in pursuance of Regulation 11 of the Industrial Man-power Emergency Regulations 1944 are as follows : (a) Revocation of Declaration of Essential Undertaking No. 22, as published in Gazette No. 81 (22nd January, 1942) : affects the undertakings in respect only of the manufacture of wooden boxes or of wooden containers or of parts of wooden boxes or wooden containers. Dated 30th November, 1945, and published in Gazette, 1945, page 1520. (b) Revocation of Declaration of Essential Undertakings No. 71, as published in Gazette No. 49 (14th May, 1942), together with amendments : affects the undertakings in respect only of their timber-yards, joinery-factories, and planing-mills. Dated 31st January, 1946, and published in Gazette, 1946, page 84. (c) Revocation of Declaration of Essential Undertaking No. 105, as published in Gazette No. 78 (20th August, 1942), together with amendments: affects maintenance and operation of a railway-line and salvage operations on portion of railway-line being dismantled. Dated 31st January, 1946, and published in Gazette, 1946, page 84.

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