CEMENT SUPPLIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 87, 6 July 1945, Page 5

CEMENT SUPPLIES

EFFECT OF COAL SHORTAGE MR W. .SULLIVAN'S QUERY An inquiry as to what steps were . being taken to provide a regular' and incrfeased supply of coal for the manufacture of cement jus the ouilding industry would be in £1 chaotic .state if immediate action i ivere not taken < was made by Mr* W. Sullivan Bay of Plenty) in the form of an urgent question in the House of Represenr:atives last week. Replying the Minister of Supply said the shortage of coal and transport difficulties were the two factors at present governing cement jroduction. The bad weather on the Zealand coast recently serious.y interfered with coal delivyies to ;he cement industry, but the pos-i----;ion was now improving. Coal supplies for the industry had always lad a high priority exceeded only iy the minimum essential requirements of the railways and. the gas companies. The adverse w r eather affected coastal shipping to such a :legree that cargo had been accu-> mulated at all ports-. Accordingly, ' deliveries of cement from both the works at Whangarei and the works at Tarakohc Nelson, would be''affected during the immediate future till accumulations of coal on fhe West Coast and perishable cargoes which had accumulated ?t various . ports had been moved. Continued f improvement in cement production would depend primarily on weather conditions on the coast.