A CEMENT FAMINE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 896, 16 August 1910, Page 6

A CEMENT FAMINE.

INCREASING USE OP CONCRETE. ■ There, hns been a cement fam&ie in New Zealand for some weeks past, and building operations on .some largo con-, tracts in Wellington.have been hampered in consequence. The scaroity is due to several causes, according" to information .gained by a Dominion representative yesterday. New Zealand cement has been gradually , taking the placo of, the 'imported article, with the result that importations have been much diminished. Sinmltanoouslywith those tendencies, the use of cement for building purposes h«s been . verj largely increasing/ especially in Wellington. Local companies did their best tu make provision for the increasing business, but they were not quite quick enough to meet the' demands, and they have' had no English reserve to fall back upon. The difficulty was _ increased in other parts of the Dominion, more particularly by he burning down of the • Burnside mill, the necessity for installing increased power facilities at Milburn, and other similar circumstances. It is , stated that the position is' now righting itself, , and that in,four weeks' gme at most the local companies, will e able to supply all demands made upon them. At present concrete in large .quantities is .required in Welling-, ton for the new post office building, the sea walls at Thorndon and Miramar, the new tramway sheds, . and. other works. Outside ol Wellington large supplies are required for the Arthur's. Pass tunnel and for drainage' and harbour works in many of the smaller municipalities , and ports. . ~. ■;