CEMENT SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 29, 29 October 1920, Page 11

CEMENT SHORTAGE

COMMENT AT HARBOUR BOARD

LACK OF COAL THE TROUBLE

At Wednesday's meeting of the Harbour Board, Mr. J. W. M'Ewan drew attention to ' the numerous references

made in the report ol' the engineer (Mr. J. Marchbanks) to delays being causcd in the board's 'constructional, programme by the cement shortago. Ho mentioned the new Taranaki Street, store, whioh Wits to have been completed by March 31 last, as one 'job that was being held' •lip; tho new carpenters' shop. on .which no work was done last month; and the Pipitea Wharf, which was surely a very essential work. In .respect to tlie latter work the engineer repurt«l that if more liberal supplies of ceiii-unt were not forthcoming within four weeks ho would l have to shorten hands; which was extraordi- . nary in regard to .such a very important work. On the other hand ihe saw a big Government, building going Tip on Lamb-' , ton' Quay, indicating no shortage of ee- , rnent; and work was being steadily con- , tinued at the ne>v Parliamentary Buildj ings. Surely if tho Government could FBesoure icemenfc for such non-essential work as the Parliamentary Buildings, and when many people were living m places little better than hovels, the board should do better." He wished to

know what they could do with a view to securing larger quantities of cement. Mr. R. E. Sinclair: Get the coal and

you'll get the cement."The chairman (Mr. J. G. Harkness) laid he very mucli regretted that things • to-day were not as they should be. it was very. difficult to get. supplies .of cement, and he assured ..the board that not a stone, had been left unturned Ito get the cement necessary for their very essential works. . They had works in New Zealand capable' of turning out 3000 tons, of cement per week, and if all were working full time it' would not be possible to secure sufficient for all requirements. Some nine weeks ago these: works .were turning cat 2000 tons a • week, but to-day they were only producing at the rat® of 1080 tons per week, so members could judge .■what a very serious condition existed (from the North Cape to the Bluff. He fcnd Mr. Marchbanks had boen. privileged to see tho allotments tho Cement Committee had made, and could 1 say ,th«t the Government-had.been cut down • as. badly as the board'. Tho only hope , of getting more cement was'an increase ;in the output of coal. They could.imIport cement. The price was from ,£l2 „10s. to <£14i per. ton for the best Portland . cement, and for Now Zealand cement «J*>ut £&. If they wanted' 2000 tons Thev could not :get shipment until January next. Only those who had dug un\der the surface of this subject could 'realise how 6'erious .the position here -was to-da.v. ■.. Mr. M'Arthur: There are two works Closed down 'in' the - north for want of coal. . , '

Sir. jr. W. Welch, asked if any penalty has . attached to the delay in completion of tliQ Taranaki Street rstore, the contract time for which expired on March 31 last.

The' chairman said'the work had'been delayed through'; the nori-delivery of steel owing to the war.The whole matter would come up' when they, had to make the final' payment after the completion of the work. ■