METAL SHORTAGES AFFECT FOUNDRIES

Chronicle (Levin), 10 July 1947, Page 8

METAL SHORTAGES AFFECT FOUNDRIES

AUCKLAND, July 9.The sliortage of raw material for th.e paetai in.djistry in Auckland b&s bjecome §0 desp^r^te that s.pme sections qf the trpd,^ jar.e repching tii/e limit of their £iapvacjty tp parry pp. uiiless relief is giyejj i-ji tjije near futnrp. Magy vitaf ipdpstries includi.ng fanning, hQusing .consfrjjetipji publip WPi'ks, S'J'e de.pen^dept on. mat.erials anj tjiis was p.ointed out to th.e hlinister of Indus.tries and Commerce, klr- Nordprey.er, i'p ,a lelegrpm spnt hy a -w,ell-a;t!ejadei nieeting .of the nretal g,n.d .epgineering s.e.eti.oij. of the Auckland Majinfacturers ' Ass.oei,ation, The secretary of the association, Mr. J. K. Doh, said the Minister had heen adyised that, the metal ,and engineering industry syas facing a desperate p.osi.tion he.caus.e of the • shortage of raw mat.erials, especially pig iron, coke ,and steel, After dealing with the industrifcs ,depen,dent on supplies, the t.elegram toid the Minister that , relief for Auckland foundries and metal tradcs •was vital to avert a .erisis. Apart from the loss of production serious repereussions on employment were a dehnit.e possibility. The small .quantity of pig iron bejng unloaded .at Auckland from the Sheaf Holme -would have a eompara tively negligible effect on the situation, said the telegram which appealed to the Minister for urgent aetion to be taken. He was urged to consider using the vessel Lodestone now in Australia, or some other vessel, to bring a substantial quantity of pig iron and other metals to Auckland. Aecording to present shipping information there was no relief in sight. The association advised the Minister that it was urgent ly neeessary to provide shipping to bring to Auckland a large amOunt of 15,000 tons of pig iron now available at Wyaila, South Australia. "It is not generally realised hoyv many vital industries rely on a supply of pig iron, steel and other metafs, " said Mr. Don. It was shown at an urgent meeting of the pre-east concr&te manufacturers of Auckland, that many of them were on the point of eompletely closing down the .concrete chimney and copper sections of their works because of the, shortage of steel reinforcing, said Mr. Don. Concrete sheating for building constructipn was also .entirely depend- ' ent on metal reinforcing and one manufaetjirer said his production would cease in about a fortnight unless relief was received in the meantime. "For many months the Manufacturers' Association and the Federation in Wellington have urged the Government to obtain a shipment of pig iron from Wyalla, ' ' said Mr. Pon. "After stoelcs have been built up in this way small, regular shipments will , maintain production. It is understood that 100 tons from Wyalla have arrived for South Island usei's. "It is obvious that the foundries in Auckland will in the very near future be forced to review their position and probably their stafdng if there is no improvem&nt,' ; said Mr. Don. "I hnow that will be done only as the last resort. " Mr. Don said the Government was also being urged to obtain supplies of tndustrial coke. either locaily or from Australia,