THE NEWEST SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 156, 27 March 1920, Page 7

THE NEWEST SHORTAGE

l -— 9 —- \ , : DOORS DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN." i Councillor W. 11. Bennett, who is a I builder bv trade, gave the City-Council v an idea, as' to why it was filming diffi- .j cultv in Retting doors and other fittings i for the houses now in course l of erection j at. Northland. "The truth of ihe. mat- | ter is." said Mr.-Bennett, "that the sash! . and door 'factories have to try and keep the seneral trade of the Dominion going, without centring on big contracts. When we were .able: to import doors from America it gave enormous relief, but' with the natural rise in price and the rate of exchange a door that used to, cost 265. now runs into 555., and you cannot Bet thern at'that, because the makers can sell their whole output in their own country. This-has meant an increased demand on local manufacturers, who cannot supply, because to make a door, tliat is going to last, the timber should be seasoned for eighteen months or two years, and the stock of seasoned timber is 'pretty, -well exhausted. I . want(id only a small lot—a dozen—doors the oilier day, and wrote north and south for them, and out of those written to (Milv one replied, and lie could not\ supply. ■It will be seen that the delaythat is occurring is not the fault of the committee, but simply that the -, material cannot be obtained. If there is anyono wlm could obtain it if it were offering, I think it is myself."