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Timber that could not be sold as the Depression hit. Ruru Sawmill.1928.
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DescriptionThis photo shows timber that could not be sold as the Depression hit. It was left to rot at Ruru. The photo is on display at Shantytown. A picture that speaks 1000 words.
Daniel Lowe.." They kept cutting it even though there was no market, I can't remember how many million board feet is was in the end, but it was an astonishing amount. It basically became worthless and I believe most of it was set alight and went up in smoke. Part of the reason why there aren't any trees left on one side of Lake Brunner, and they all just went up in smoke, quite sad really, just such a waste."Date of Photo1928Map[1] ContributorLaura Mills Detlaff
Daniel Lowe.." They kept cutting it even though there was no market, I can't remember how many million board feet is was in the end, but it was an astonishing amount. It basically became worthless and I believe most of it was set alight and went up in smoke. Part of the reason why there aren't any trees left on one side of Lake Brunner, and they all just went up in smoke, quite sad really, just such a waste."Date of Photo1928Map[1] ContributorLaura Mills Detlaff
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Location (city or town)RuruOrganisation (eg business)Ruru sawmillEventTimber that could not be sold as the Depression hit.1928.
Category Information
Category TagForestry
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LinkFacebookCommentsLouise Austin Wow there's so much!
1 May at 17:03 · Like
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin Im pretty sure it didnt all rot. It may have got a bit of water damage but it still would of been alright to build with.Be no good for furniture.
1 May at 17:55 · Like · 1
Jeremy Elston Greed is a root of all kinds of evil.
1 May at 18:01 · Like
Mike Jones A bit like Auckland houses.....
1 May at 18:54 · Like
Daniel Lowe They kept cutting it even though there was no market, I can't remember how many million board feet is was in the end, but it was an astonishing amount. It basically became worthless and I believe most of it was set alight and went up in smoke. Part of the reason why there aren't any trees left on one side of Lake Brunner, and they all just went up in smoke, quite sad really, just such a waste.
1 May at 19:03 · Edited · Like · 2
Daniel Lowe It was 2 million ft of timber.
1 May at 19:10 · Like · 1
Louise Austin That is a shame
1 May at 19:11 · Like
Laura Mills Detlaff Thanks Daniel Lowe
1 May at 19:15 · Like
Alan Kenney wow thats an impressive amount of timber. the wastage of kauri in the north was dreadfull as well.
1 May at 19:16 · Like
James Codyre was it linear,board,or cubic feet.because there is a vast difference
1 May at 19:45 · Like
Daniel Lowe It was 2 million board ft, or "super feet" from what I understand.
1 May at 19:48 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley
Owen here. I think those of you criticising the waste should take into account that the mill continued to employ men and paid them during the depression. I imagine the owners lived in hope that the depression would ease and the timber would be worth ...See More
1 May at 21:30 · Like · 5
Laura Mills Detlaff Did the govt of the day subsidise mills to keep men in work???
1 May at 21:35 · Like · 1
Neil Martin Very Valid point there Owen Roseanne Winstanley They would have hoped its would be only a temporary downturn. Mr Stratford The saw miller ensured his workers were employed during the depression by constructing the houses in what became known as Holy City in Greymouth
1 May at 22:01 · Like
Lyn Wallace My great grandparents lived in the house next door to this. My mum always mentioned playing amongst the stacks of timber when she was very young.
1 May at 22:32 · Like · 2
Lyn Wallace Janet Kilkelly would know possibly more. Or maybe that I am wrong. Or maybe it was the mill itself.?
1 May at 22:34 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here. I am aware that the introduction above says this timber was at Ruru and that is probably correct but I have this nagging feeling that I have been told they stored it at Bell Hill. If it was at Ruru I would be interested to know exactly where.
1 May at 23:48 · Like
Janet Kilkelly Lyn Nan and Pop lived on the other side of the railway line from the mill. Idont remember that much timber being there.(1940's) Maybe it was gone by then.
2 May at 07:40 · Like
Laura Mills Detlaff Sign at Shantytown says Depression so late 20s early 30s
2 May at 08:38 · Like
Lyn Wallace Thanks Janet Kilkelly I wasn't sure. But there was a mill perhaps close by? Mum told me a story about Christmas times at Nan and Pops.
2 May at 13:49 · Like
Daniel Lowe
I'm not sure why you are making this into a political argument Roseanne Winstanley, but in my opinion waste is waste, and 2 million feet is a lot of waste. The depression was a difficult time no doubt, but it does reflect on the poor attitude our government of the time had toward our natural resources. Had we have taken a more sustainable approach to logging, we would likely still have a native timber industry on the West Coast now, but as it stands the bad politics of the past have yet again contributed to robbing the West Coast of a sustainable future. There are lessons to be learned form these things in my opinion.
2 May at 14:25 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley
Owen here. I tend to think that you, Daniel, made this political. I was merely putting a counter argument. It is easy in 2015 with the advantage of hindsight to say what happened 80 years ago was wrong. I think we now all agree with that. But it was what it was. Abhorent now, but not then. It happened and I think the owners should be commended for looking after their staff. Thousands didn't and I suggest the employees of those that didn't probably wouldn't have agreed with you back then. I reiterate that I doubt the owners would have continued cutting if they thought it would be wasted and in that regard I am not sure it was 'wasted', certainly not in its entirety.
2 May at 14:45 · Like · 1
Daniel Lowe
Wasn't this part of a Government subsidized work scheme though Roseanne Winstanley? as was happening all around the country at that time? Point taken about hindsight, but I still think there are plenty of people on the West Coast with the same rape and pillage mentality as back then. I am not a politically motivated "greenie" for the record, I like the idea of sustainable indigenous forestry and think it is a great shame that we never attained that on the West Coast.
2 May at 14:51 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen again. Hi, Daniel. I hope you are wrong that there are 'plenty' with a rape and pillage mentality. Your other points are well made.
2 May at 15:02 · Like
James Codyre only reason it was not attained was because of stupid lying polititions including a Labour PM
2 May at 15:04 · Like
James Codyre The groundwork had been done with all the experts and reports but Helen Clarke bent over and kissed the greenies backsides
2 May at 15:07 · Like
James Codyre West Coasters should feel sexually satisfied because they are forever getting shafted
2 May at 15:08 · Like
Daniel Lowe
Roseanne Winstanley I did quite a bit of reading about the subject, and there was a fascinating book I found at the Greymouth library (must have been about 12 years ago maybe) that the Labour party put out in the 1960's about West Coast forestry. The Labour party back then was very different to the current incarnation, and there was some very accurate predictions that unfortunately all came true. I also read quite a bit about the forestry service, we had some excellent research undertaken with some very good knowledge and people in that organization. But the government of the day didn't like their recommendations and basically destroyed any hope of forestry becoming what it could have (and should have) been. I think that was among one of the greatest mistakes any government ever made in NZ.
2 May at 15:11 · Edited · Like
Daniel Lowe
Hi James Codyre, the issues I was reading about were before Helen Clark and her politics, in a sense, what happened regarding forestry years prior made what she did inevitable. There were warnings as early as the sixties that we needed to change our approach to these things, and we had the people and research to do it, but it never happened because of government meddling. We could have had sustainable native and even more quality exotic timber available now, but all the government was interested in was clear felling native, Radiata pine and CCA treatment. A great shame the way it all unfolded.
2 May at 15:21 · Edited · Like
James Codyre My wife and I come from three generations of sawmillers in the Grey Valley and her family own the only family run mill still operating at Ngahere(Westimber) so know a little of the background.
2 May at 15:26 · Like
James Codyre I worked in mills and the bush around the Coast from the mid 60s
2 May at 15:28 · Like
Daniel Lowe James Codyre do you know of any good books written by coasters about the sawmilling days?
2 May at 15:32 · Like
John Rosanowski R W Griffin wrote a book called The Book of Mills that might be of interest.
2 May at 17:50 · Like · 1
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here, thanks Lyn Moe, I said in an earlier comment on this post that I thought the stockpile of timber was at Bell Hill, your cutting seems to prove that to be correct.
2 May at 19:51 · Like · 1
Lyn Moe good ,owen ,I took off to edit my part but will leave ,was going to say good on the mill owners looking after the workers ,Im sure it would not of all been wasted
Lyn Moe's photo.
2 May at 20:27 · Edited · Like
James Codyre "the Book of Mills & Men" By R.W.Griffin.
Ray Sutton Think of the houses that could be built from that timber today instead of concrete slabs. No need to import timber from overseas for a while
1
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Shirley Barrow
Shirley Barrow Replant them, it's never too late to replant.
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Andy Grigg
Andy Grigg Easterlies, Westerlies, Sou'westers,bring 'em on!
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Lyn Brown
Lyn Brown My grandfather worked there.Love seeing these old photos.
Mary Moffitt Cliff Moffitt used to carry stores right around Lake Brunner in a two day trip. All I can remember is his one day trips which used to go as far as Ruru. Hard to remember but there were several houses there then. By the time I grew up, most were gone. Things went downhill very rapidly, because a person I worked with later spoke of going back there with his father and he said there were only three empty houses then.
It's not really funny, but boys will be boys, and by the time they left Ruru, he said there were only two houses left.
The rest is up to you.
Owen Winstanley Perhaps you might temper your ctiticism a little when you understand that this occurred during the depression and the company kept its men in work and paid them. Maybe their actions were worthy of praise. I am sure the families and community at the time were not critical.
Dave Hamilton My father told me this about 60 years ago. I’ll tell the story as I remember it. It is a bit short on detail, as I didn’t know the areas dad described.
When a young man he was working in a bush sawmill somewhere around Ross.
They used to saw timber all week, then take it to a rail head in town, via the mill tramline, on Saturday.
The timber was sold, the men were paid and most spent Saturday night in the hotel, before returning to the bush, after church for some, on Sunday.
This trip to town was their only contact with the outside world.
One Saturday, they took the timber into town, but the town was closed. The depression had hit.
The only thing they could do was take the timber back to the mill, without any collecting money or supplies.
The mill manager had stayed at the mill this particular day.
After a conversation with the men, he told them they would sit tight.
The cook had a good garden, and the men hunted and butchered their meat.
Some of the crew could help expand the garden, others could help do a full maintenance on the mill.
A few of the crew packed up and left immediately.
My father stayed on. After about 2 weeks most of the work that could be done without new parts was completed.
My father got word that he was wanted back on the family farm.
Prior to motorcars his father had been the Ross farrier.
Rather than take on motor car repairs, he became a farmer, but kept the farrier business going.
With the depression, people wanted their horse and carts all mobile again.
Nobody had any money, but a barter economy got going. For instance. When they needed coke for the forge it arrived, no questions asked.
The “Smithy” was working at full capacity.
Gaye Ruru Makes my surname appropriate especially s we used to live in Greymouth!!
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Heather Newby
Heather Newby doesnt Ruru mean morepork or Owl?
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Gaye Ruru
Gaye Ruru Yes so true Heather!
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Laura Mills Detlaff
Write a reply...
Craig Norman
Craig Norman My mother was a child of the depression. her father had a successful bricklaying and drainage company. contracts vanished. It was the labour party and their state house programme that put them back on their feet. She never forgot or forgave the conservative govt, of the day standing by and doing NOTHING . We have no conception of what things were like then,
Dave Hamilton Craig Norman Yes! My parents and their siblings were young adults in the depression. As a child I heard a lot about it. It seems New Zealand managed the depression much better than Australia did.
We had a depression style event here in Newcastle in Newcastle in the early 1980s. The Liberal Government changed the tax laws regarding steel making. BHP decided to close it's mill and go away. If we hadn't had a change to Labor, we would have lost everything. The Steel Industry Plan allowed an orderly exit that benefitted everyone.
Craig Norman Dave Hamilton I think the '30s depression hit Australia a lot harder than NZ as you had a lot more big industies with BIG populations living in cities, who couldn't " live off the land"
Dave Hamilton Craig Norman Apparently Australia didn’t have any social welfare then either.
In many areas of social reform New Zealand policy seems to be about 100 years ahead of Australia.
Craig Norman Dave Hamilton they didn't any social welfare at the time of the depression,, apart from the old age pension. There was a "dole" if you were working on "public " works schemes. They biggest ingrained image my mother had of the deprssion was Her father leaving home on Saturday Mornings,with a spade.to go and dig their doctors garden as payment for treatment he had given my grand mother. The Labour party introduced "Universal" tax funded health care for all in 1938 and we have had it ever since.
Judith Mccormick Jacqui Holland this is where your great grandfather Robert Chamberlain worked also 3 great uncles Robert, Graham, and Kevin Chamberlain
Judith Mccormick Jacqui Holland this is where your great grandfather Robert Chamberlain worked also 3 great uncles Robert, Graham, and Kevin Chamberlain
Anne Honey Was any of the timber salvageable does any one know. When things got better it is a shame something couldn't have been done with it. Purely a 2019 viewpoint
Rick Giles When government messes with the economy there is great waste
At least it's only trees this time. In an earlier depression our surplus sheep were driven off cliffs.
1 May at 17:03 · Like
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin Im pretty sure it didnt all rot. It may have got a bit of water damage but it still would of been alright to build with.Be no good for furniture.
1 May at 17:55 · Like · 1
Jeremy Elston Greed is a root of all kinds of evil.
1 May at 18:01 · Like
Mike Jones A bit like Auckland houses.....
1 May at 18:54 · Like
Daniel Lowe They kept cutting it even though there was no market, I can't remember how many million board feet is was in the end, but it was an astonishing amount. It basically became worthless and I believe most of it was set alight and went up in smoke. Part of the reason why there aren't any trees left on one side of Lake Brunner, and they all just went up in smoke, quite sad really, just such a waste.
1 May at 19:03 · Edited · Like · 2
Daniel Lowe It was 2 million ft of timber.
1 May at 19:10 · Like · 1
Louise Austin That is a shame
1 May at 19:11 · Like
Laura Mills Detlaff Thanks Daniel Lowe
1 May at 19:15 · Like
Alan Kenney wow thats an impressive amount of timber. the wastage of kauri in the north was dreadfull as well.
1 May at 19:16 · Like
James Codyre was it linear,board,or cubic feet.because there is a vast difference
1 May at 19:45 · Like
Daniel Lowe It was 2 million board ft, or "super feet" from what I understand.
1 May at 19:48 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley
Owen here. I think those of you criticising the waste should take into account that the mill continued to employ men and paid them during the depression. I imagine the owners lived in hope that the depression would ease and the timber would be worth ...See More
1 May at 21:30 · Like · 5
Laura Mills Detlaff Did the govt of the day subsidise mills to keep men in work???
1 May at 21:35 · Like · 1
Neil Martin Very Valid point there Owen Roseanne Winstanley They would have hoped its would be only a temporary downturn. Mr Stratford The saw miller ensured his workers were employed during the depression by constructing the houses in what became known as Holy City in Greymouth
1 May at 22:01 · Like
Lyn Wallace My great grandparents lived in the house next door to this. My mum always mentioned playing amongst the stacks of timber when she was very young.
1 May at 22:32 · Like · 2
Lyn Wallace Janet Kilkelly would know possibly more. Or maybe that I am wrong. Or maybe it was the mill itself.?
1 May at 22:34 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here. I am aware that the introduction above says this timber was at Ruru and that is probably correct but I have this nagging feeling that I have been told they stored it at Bell Hill. If it was at Ruru I would be interested to know exactly where.
1 May at 23:48 · Like
Janet Kilkelly Lyn Nan and Pop lived on the other side of the railway line from the mill. Idont remember that much timber being there.(1940's) Maybe it was gone by then.
2 May at 07:40 · Like
Laura Mills Detlaff Sign at Shantytown says Depression so late 20s early 30s
2 May at 08:38 · Like
Lyn Wallace Thanks Janet Kilkelly I wasn't sure. But there was a mill perhaps close by? Mum told me a story about Christmas times at Nan and Pops.
2 May at 13:49 · Like
Daniel Lowe
I'm not sure why you are making this into a political argument Roseanne Winstanley, but in my opinion waste is waste, and 2 million feet is a lot of waste. The depression was a difficult time no doubt, but it does reflect on the poor attitude our government of the time had toward our natural resources. Had we have taken a more sustainable approach to logging, we would likely still have a native timber industry on the West Coast now, but as it stands the bad politics of the past have yet again contributed to robbing the West Coast of a sustainable future. There are lessons to be learned form these things in my opinion.
2 May at 14:25 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley
Owen here. I tend to think that you, Daniel, made this political. I was merely putting a counter argument. It is easy in 2015 with the advantage of hindsight to say what happened 80 years ago was wrong. I think we now all agree with that. But it was what it was. Abhorent now, but not then. It happened and I think the owners should be commended for looking after their staff. Thousands didn't and I suggest the employees of those that didn't probably wouldn't have agreed with you back then. I reiterate that I doubt the owners would have continued cutting if they thought it would be wasted and in that regard I am not sure it was 'wasted', certainly not in its entirety.
2 May at 14:45 · Like · 1
Daniel Lowe
Wasn't this part of a Government subsidized work scheme though Roseanne Winstanley? as was happening all around the country at that time? Point taken about hindsight, but I still think there are plenty of people on the West Coast with the same rape and pillage mentality as back then. I am not a politically motivated "greenie" for the record, I like the idea of sustainable indigenous forestry and think it is a great shame that we never attained that on the West Coast.
2 May at 14:51 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen again. Hi, Daniel. I hope you are wrong that there are 'plenty' with a rape and pillage mentality. Your other points are well made.
2 May at 15:02 · Like
James Codyre only reason it was not attained was because of stupid lying polititions including a Labour PM
2 May at 15:04 · Like
James Codyre The groundwork had been done with all the experts and reports but Helen Clarke bent over and kissed the greenies backsides
2 May at 15:07 · Like
James Codyre West Coasters should feel sexually satisfied because they are forever getting shafted
2 May at 15:08 · Like
Daniel Lowe
Roseanne Winstanley I did quite a bit of reading about the subject, and there was a fascinating book I found at the Greymouth library (must have been about 12 years ago maybe) that the Labour party put out in the 1960's about West Coast forestry. The Labour party back then was very different to the current incarnation, and there was some very accurate predictions that unfortunately all came true. I also read quite a bit about the forestry service, we had some excellent research undertaken with some very good knowledge and people in that organization. But the government of the day didn't like their recommendations and basically destroyed any hope of forestry becoming what it could have (and should have) been. I think that was among one of the greatest mistakes any government ever made in NZ.
2 May at 15:11 · Edited · Like
Daniel Lowe
Hi James Codyre, the issues I was reading about were before Helen Clark and her politics, in a sense, what happened regarding forestry years prior made what she did inevitable. There were warnings as early as the sixties that we needed to change our approach to these things, and we had the people and research to do it, but it never happened because of government meddling. We could have had sustainable native and even more quality exotic timber available now, but all the government was interested in was clear felling native, Radiata pine and CCA treatment. A great shame the way it all unfolded.
2 May at 15:21 · Edited · Like
James Codyre My wife and I come from three generations of sawmillers in the Grey Valley and her family own the only family run mill still operating at Ngahere(Westimber) so know a little of the background.
2 May at 15:26 · Like
James Codyre I worked in mills and the bush around the Coast from the mid 60s
2 May at 15:28 · Like
Daniel Lowe James Codyre do you know of any good books written by coasters about the sawmilling days?
2 May at 15:32 · Like
John Rosanowski R W Griffin wrote a book called The Book of Mills that might be of interest.
2 May at 17:50 · Like · 1
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here, thanks Lyn Moe, I said in an earlier comment on this post that I thought the stockpile of timber was at Bell Hill, your cutting seems to prove that to be correct.
2 May at 19:51 · Like · 1
Lyn Moe good ,owen ,I took off to edit my part but will leave ,was going to say good on the mill owners looking after the workers ,Im sure it would not of all been wasted
Lyn Moe's photo.
2 May at 20:27 · Edited · Like
James Codyre "the Book of Mills & Men" By R.W.Griffin.
Ray Sutton Think of the houses that could be built from that timber today instead of concrete slabs. No need to import timber from overseas for a while
1
Manage
Like
· Reply · 2h
Shirley Barrow
Shirley Barrow Replant them, it's never too late to replant.
Manage
Like
· Reply · 2h
Andy Grigg
Andy Grigg Easterlies, Westerlies, Sou'westers,bring 'em on!
Manage
Image may contain: outdoor
Like
· Reply · 2h
Lyn Brown
Lyn Brown My grandfather worked there.Love seeing these old photos.
Mary Moffitt Cliff Moffitt used to carry stores right around Lake Brunner in a two day trip. All I can remember is his one day trips which used to go as far as Ruru. Hard to remember but there were several houses there then. By the time I grew up, most were gone. Things went downhill very rapidly, because a person I worked with later spoke of going back there with his father and he said there were only three empty houses then.
It's not really funny, but boys will be boys, and by the time they left Ruru, he said there were only two houses left.
The rest is up to you.
Owen Winstanley Perhaps you might temper your ctiticism a little when you understand that this occurred during the depression and the company kept its men in work and paid them. Maybe their actions were worthy of praise. I am sure the families and community at the time were not critical.
Dave Hamilton My father told me this about 60 years ago. I’ll tell the story as I remember it. It is a bit short on detail, as I didn’t know the areas dad described.
When a young man he was working in a bush sawmill somewhere around Ross.
They used to saw timber all week, then take it to a rail head in town, via the mill tramline, on Saturday.
The timber was sold, the men were paid and most spent Saturday night in the hotel, before returning to the bush, after church for some, on Sunday.
This trip to town was their only contact with the outside world.
One Saturday, they took the timber into town, but the town was closed. The depression had hit.
The only thing they could do was take the timber back to the mill, without any collecting money or supplies.
The mill manager had stayed at the mill this particular day.
After a conversation with the men, he told them they would sit tight.
The cook had a good garden, and the men hunted and butchered their meat.
Some of the crew could help expand the garden, others could help do a full maintenance on the mill.
A few of the crew packed up and left immediately.
My father stayed on. After about 2 weeks most of the work that could be done without new parts was completed.
My father got word that he was wanted back on the family farm.
Prior to motorcars his father had been the Ross farrier.
Rather than take on motor car repairs, he became a farmer, but kept the farrier business going.
With the depression, people wanted their horse and carts all mobile again.
Nobody had any money, but a barter economy got going. For instance. When they needed coke for the forge it arrived, no questions asked.
The “Smithy” was working at full capacity.
Gaye Ruru Makes my surname appropriate especially s we used to live in Greymouth!!
1
Manage
Like
· Reply · 3h
Heather Newby
Heather Newby doesnt Ruru mean morepork or Owl?
Manage
Like
· Reply · 3h
Gaye Ruru
Gaye Ruru Yes so true Heather!
Manage
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· Reply · 1h
Laura Mills Detlaff
Write a reply...
Craig Norman
Craig Norman My mother was a child of the depression. her father had a successful bricklaying and drainage company. contracts vanished. It was the labour party and their state house programme that put them back on their feet. She never forgot or forgave the conservative govt, of the day standing by and doing NOTHING . We have no conception of what things were like then,
Dave Hamilton Craig Norman Yes! My parents and their siblings were young adults in the depression. As a child I heard a lot about it. It seems New Zealand managed the depression much better than Australia did.
We had a depression style event here in Newcastle in Newcastle in the early 1980s. The Liberal Government changed the tax laws regarding steel making. BHP decided to close it's mill and go away. If we hadn't had a change to Labor, we would have lost everything. The Steel Industry Plan allowed an orderly exit that benefitted everyone.
Craig Norman Dave Hamilton I think the '30s depression hit Australia a lot harder than NZ as you had a lot more big industies with BIG populations living in cities, who couldn't " live off the land"
Dave Hamilton Craig Norman Apparently Australia didn’t have any social welfare then either.
In many areas of social reform New Zealand policy seems to be about 100 years ahead of Australia.
Craig Norman Dave Hamilton they didn't any social welfare at the time of the depression,, apart from the old age pension. There was a "dole" if you were working on "public " works schemes. They biggest ingrained image my mother had of the deprssion was Her father leaving home on Saturday Mornings,with a spade.to go and dig their doctors garden as payment for treatment he had given my grand mother. The Labour party introduced "Universal" tax funded health care for all in 1938 and we have had it ever since.
Judith Mccormick Jacqui Holland this is where your great grandfather Robert Chamberlain worked also 3 great uncles Robert, Graham, and Kevin Chamberlain
Judith Mccormick Jacqui Holland this is where your great grandfather Robert Chamberlain worked also 3 great uncles Robert, Graham, and Kevin Chamberlain
Anne Honey Was any of the timber salvageable does any one know. When things got better it is a shame something couldn't have been done with it. Purely a 2019 viewpoint
Rick Giles When government messes with the economy there is great waste
At least it's only trees this time. In an earlier depression our surplus sheep were driven off cliffs.
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West Coast New Zealand History (9th Jul 2022). Timber that could not be sold as the Depression hit. Ruru Sawmill.1928.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 23rd May 2026 04:55, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/2395