FENCING WIRE SHORTAGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 72, 27 August 1947, Page 3

FENCING WIRE SHORTAGE

EFFECT OF TRANSPORT AND COAL STRIKES New Zealand needs 25,090 tons oJ fencing wire to overcome the shortage caused by the war. In 1937, a jbeak year, 12,000 tons were imported, and the following year 9000 tons. In 1946 only 2000 tons of wire could be obtained, and the greater part of this came from Britain. The causes of the shortage of fencing wire in the manufacturing countries are coal and transport strikes, shortages of steel and labour, and the fact that these countries cannot produce enough to overcome their own war shortages, let alone export much. ■Australia is drastically short, and the only wire she can export is a little of the “shiny” wire used for nail manufacture. Canada has placed a total embargo on the export of all steel' and steel products; Sweden and,- Czechoslovakia can supply none; Belgium supplies a few tons at a time; England is far below supplying her own needs; and there is none to be had in other, countries, with the exception of the United States. Representations were made to the United States by the New Zealand Government last year, with the result that 1500 tons of fencing wire and some box binding wire were supplied on condition that it was used for food production only. Most of this has arrived.

Since it is unlikely that Britain will be able to supply enough for some time, the New Zealand Supply Mission, Washington, is investigating, on behalf of the New Zealand merchant buying and distributing organisation, the prospects of obtaining from the United States 10,000 to 15,000 tons of barbed wire to be supplied over the next 18 months. The wire netting position is also acute, although Britain is supplying 51,500 rolls of poultry and rabbit netting between May and November of this year. This is about onethird of the accumulated orders.