294 Timehri. 



Suction Gas. Recent strides made in the production of suction gas 

 have brought it into the field as a very formidable competitor with steam 

 as a motive power. 



The " Cambridge " suction gas-producer is a notable and important 

 innovation, as one of its special advantages is that gas for running your 

 mill can be generated from any description of saw-mill waste refuse 

 which has a reasonable fuel value, including sawdust, plane shavings, 

 bark, etc. Not only does this form the means of effectively disposing 

 of waste refuse but plays an important part in the economical operation 

 of the mill. 



Electricity. Operating costs are reduced to a minimum if this force 

 can be purchased as your motive power. I refer to purchasing the neces- 

 sary energy for the reason that a central supply station can produce 

 power more cheaply than it can be generated solely for running a 

 saw-mill. 



Considerable power is saved when machines are not actually employed 

 on sawing. As against this steam and suction gas have to be generated 

 and maintained between intervals for feeding and clearing the mills, also 

 during temporary stoppages on account of small breakdowns. Disposal 

 of waste refuse is also a question for consideration if electricity is used 

 but can be handled in a similar manner to that suggested under Water 

 Power. 



Steam Power. Like the suction gas plant the furnace of the 

 steam-boiler furnishes a ready means of disposal of refuse, but in addi- 

 tion, a small quantity of purchased wood fuel has to be used to supply 

 the necessary steam pressure for driving the mills. Beyond the ordinary 

 upkeep of boiler, feed-pump and steam-pipe lines, etc., there is nothing- 

 extraordinary to be maintained nor anything with which most people are 

 not familiar. 



Stationary Saw Plant. 

 The town-erected mill pays about the same or a slightly higher rate 

 for raw material as its up-countr}^ competitor and, provided that it is 

 built on a riverside lot, there is no further trouble in handling raw mate- 

 rial or the manufactured product. Accumulations of inferior grades of 

 timber are soon disposed of for odd jobs in a town where there is also 

 a ready market for all the mill's products. There is also a much 

 larger field of labour to draw on and, although the labour might not be as 

 skilled and intelligent as one would like it to be, the town-erected mill 

 again has the advantage over its up-country competitor in this respect. 



The carriage of hewn timber from the interior to a mill in George- 

 town or New Amsterdam appears at first sight like great waste in the 

 matter of transport charges on sawdust and what must eventually become 

 mill refuse, if not used as before suggested. This is a point that has 

 been sometimes urged in favour of the up-country erected mill. 



