THE CEMENT SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 104, 27 January 1920, Page 8

THE CEMENT SHORTAGE

, AND THE HOUSING PROBLEM. The acute shortage of cement is seriously affecting the housing problem, and whilst tho shortage holds work on residences in'the course of construction must remain at',a.standstill. ~.-. . ''■■.This factor in the housing'problem was ■ brought, to the notice of a Dominion ■ yesterday by . a local architect who .emphasised 'the difficulties his profession was experiencing in fulfilling contracts. The-circumstances prevailing have rendered the contract system useless, tho. progress of construction relying entirely on iho" material available. • Tho architect in question explained that he had in addition to other work two cottages at Wadestown unfinished for the want of cement. The mon employed on the work\ were pracI tically idle, but had to be kept on, particularly in tho case of bricklayers, as there was a shortage of men. Contractors wcrb paying from 2s. 3d. to 2s. 9d. an hour to bricklayers for nothing, \ and in soino cases all that was required to complete a job was sufficient cement; to finish off chimneys. Of the sixty tons of cement which arrived yesterday he received half a too, but this would not nearly moot the work ho had in hand. He complained of the large contractors being permitted to receive Inrge qpnn- • titles of cement for the .'onsh'uetion of stores nnd other by no means urgent ■ , .works. The housing problem was acute, and would remain so till such time ns the necessary materials were forthcoming. Not only was there a serious shortage of cement, "but of timber also, and our informant claimed that the milling firms in the King Country were Tailing their output to Auckland, whpre it was commanding a higher price. Local firms, he said, were receiving letters in reply to their applications for supplies expressing regret that it would not bo possible to fulfil the demand. It was known amongst contractors locally that Auckland was receiving more timber than Wellington, and ns a result -urgent residential works were absolutely at a standstill.