Paper read before the Road and Building Materials Group on December 7 , 1937) 'I'lic iuitial outluy 011 a woodeii telcgniph pole is so sniirll, conipnrcd wit11 the after coskq of transport, crcction, equipiiicnt, iind reiie~~~iil, tliiit iiioiicy spent with the object of proloiigiiig the lifc ,of tlic tiinher is money snvetl over and over irgniii in tlic loiig rtiii. Tlie British Post Oflicc lias :I century of \vood-prescrving esperiencc, for wlicii it took over tho telcgciphs froiii the pririrtc coinpniiics iri 1870 it 1)cncfitcd by the experience of tlie cnrlier operiitors, iiiclutliirg thc rnilwnys, wlio liiirl crectctl lilies rliiriiig t.lir previous 34 ycum.
Over this cwitiiry the Post Ollicc tins iiccuiiiulated a store of wisdoni. I t bnses its preferelice for Scots pine poles, prcscrretl witli creosote, upoii souiid rciisoiiing which hiis duc regnrd to the rcliitivc iinl)ortiince of such liictors 11s iiiitiiil expcnsc, liglit weight, low niniiiteiiunce, siniplc fiil)ricrition, cnsy cliiiibing, nnrl evcii pr0fit:ihle disposd after the [ioh:s Iiiive t:oiiipletctl t,hc service requircd of tlieni.
The Post Oliicc relies upoii coiitructors for tlie work incurred in tlic siipply nnd prepnrutioii of poles For it* overheed trnnsiiiissioii liiics, but ;it every stiige, froiii forest, to roadside, escrciscs closc siipcrvision over the innniier in whicli the work is eiirried out. I n doing so, the Department follows ccrtuiii \~ell-tlcfined principles. l o eiisure thc supply of tho iirticlc niost suitiiblc to tlit? job, nttcntioii is pnid to tlic ltiiitl of wootl selected, the quality of wood supplied, the prcpiirirt~ioii of tlic wood, the inniiiicr in which it is stored, its condition, tiiid tlic prcsrrvntive proccss to whicli it is subiiiittcd. I woiild likc to discuss these principles i i i tliiit order.
Z'lre k i d oJ tcroorl.--In tlic airly days of t,lie telcgrirph, there is good rciison to suppose thrrt liiics were erected on polcs tiikcii froni the forests of t l h country. 'Jllic Post Ollicc aontinuc8 to trike 11s riiiiriy (is posxil)lc from thir; source. lrirrcli niitl Scots pine grew straight, and iiiccly tapered, wit.11 rightly proport,ioii~l Iicigbt untl girth, iriitl both w r c riso~l. 111 t h i r Iiiiturcil coiiditioii they liistcd frorii 4 to 7 yccrrs. Iteplit~ciiiciit bccnino iiecessirry iiftcr tliis nliort lifc I)ct:iriise t h poles wcrc exponcrl to dl tlio coiitlitions f;ivoiiriiIh to rrttiick by fungus iiiid tlcciry 1)rolte tlown tlic! outer siipvood n t the ground liiie iiiitl evoii sl)rciiil to i,lie i n i i c b r heiirtwood. ! R o first. irttenipt intitle to proloiig tlieir life WUY to char the butt ontls in II fire iiiitl to r d t l ir libcrril coirtiiig of hrr. Tlic lifc of liircli, trcated in t,liis swy, is recorded us huviiig bcoii iinccrtiiiii, wrying froiii 10 to 18 yciirs. At, blik h i e uliciiiists likc J3etlic1, rind 13ouchcric, v * 'L'lic piipcrs which follow iirc intciidctl to show the types ol' ~iroblcms iiivolvctl trntl how t h y linro bccn triclilctl, iiiid, in iidtlitlio~i, iind pcrliripu of iiiorc inili~rtiinco, to diow wliiit still liris to bc tlou~.
,, 1 Iius, liiiics, cciiiciits, iind siilpliiitc plristcrs obviously