SHORTAGE OF CEMENT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 58, 2 December 1919, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF CEMENT

WORKS SUSPENDED

TttOUm-H

MAINLY DUE TO COAL TUOUBiiE

The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) informed ii DOMINION repfter tlmt he. hud very reluctantly to announce that several uiy. works hail had to be suspended this week oii account of the cement supplies in Wellington having given out. One of tin- biggest works on which they had to will a bait was the sea-wall at Oriental Buy. He very much regretted that that was so, as gou'd prugress was being made along tho water.trunt towards tho Kiosk, and the conilunlilioii of tho wall at that point b'".ve lacilitics for the widening ot' tho rond uiid the provision of an esplanade, which ho had hoped would bo pretty well completed this summer. Work there would be resumed as soon as supplies of ceniwt were available. Another work which had been suspended was the nmv retaining wall at lirittomavt Street, which meant die improvement of a difficult pieco of that thoroughfare up towards tho Town Belt end, and near tho school. Other works which wero affected were the wall at Adams Terrace, and the big wall that was being built at Seagar's corner at the eiitranco to Brooklyn at the junction of tho new road with Ohiro Koad. The renewal and re-formation of the tramway track along Lauibton Quay was a work of tho first importance, and hud to bo pushed on with as speedily as possible, iio far enough cement was available to keep the gangs going along the Quay, and it was hoped that a stopjiago of inis work would be avoided. Inquiry was made elsewhere as to the shortage, and it ivas found that builders und contractors were in no better position than the City Council, and in many cases work had had to be suspended, pending tho arrival of-fresh, supplies. Cement cannot be "held long in stock by anyone- owing to its nroneness to absorb whatever moisture there may be in its vicinity—from lluoivs mills, roots, or from the air—and having to i'bsorbed moisture it deteriorates at once. Contractors use largo quantities nowadays ou concreto piles, buildings, walls, etc.,' but they do their best to avoid holding heavy stocks for the reason already given. Iho reason for tho existing shortage of cement in Wellington is chiefly thu difficulty one big local company has had in securing an adequate supply of coiil for tho furuaces. Had t)i o cual supply been good, this trouble would perhaps not have arisen, but there wero contributory causes in the shortage of suitable ehipnmtf-tho Kturmbird, liimitaugi, and the laniui have all. been lost without being replaced—and the usual labour tiouules at the works. However, thereis tho chance of getting a -100-ton'cargo ot commit over from the Golden Bay Cement Company's works before tho end of tho week. No cement is now exported from England, Mr. Luko pointed out, and had not been for some years before the war. At one time sailing vessels would arrive halt loaded with Portland cement, but there was an import duty now of Us ,i cask, which did not allow of sufficient margin for tl» English article to competo against the colonial cement. There wns somo talk of cement from Japan, but given a steady output from flio local works thcro would b 0 little opportunity for the Japanese to compete after paying tho freight and duty.