TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1921, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

**a.EGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

BOARDING OF COUNTRY TEACHERS.

HINT TO SCHOOL COMMITTEES

WELLINGTON, May 11

“The boarding of country teachers is often a difficult problem,” said the Minister of Education to-day, “both for the Department and the Education Boards, and I hope school committees and parents will help us in the matter. In some instances Boards have had to withdraw teachers and close schools because there was no boarding accommodation. Such a step generally brings a storm of protest from the school committee and parents concerned, but now when the Government cannot possibly find money to build teachers’ residences, I trust that local people will bestir themselves and get teachers suitable accommodation. Some committees seem to think that the Department should do absolutely everything. A little genuine co-operation on the part of committees in this very difficult matter is all I ask.”

CEMENT SUPPLIES. AUCKLAND, May 11 The position of the cement manufacturing companies in New Zealand was the subject of a statement to-day by a business man who is in close touch with this industry. He said that during the whole of 1920 there was a shortage of cement, the principal cause being that the cement works in the Dominion were unable to work at full capacity owing to the coal shortage. On the other band the demand was very heavy, for not only were new industries being established, hut other industries were extending - existing plants and buildings, and, in addition, railway works, harbour works, bridges, etc., were being carried out, and a Government housing scheme was put into operation. In the latter half of the past year the Government decided to encourage the importation of cement, and to this end remitted the duty on this commodity. This resulted in much more cement being imported than the position warranted, for almost immediately after shipments began to arrive, construction works, owing chiefly to the financial stringency, were curtailed. It had to be remembered also that the imjxntod article cost from £4 to £6 per ton more than cement manufactured in Now Zealand. In March of this year the Board of Trade regulations governing the control and distribution of cement were suspended, and the Government decided to reimpose the duty on imported stocks as from April Ist. This decision was clue to the fact that the demand for supplies had fallen off considerably, and also because owing to a regular supply of coal being available, the local companies had not only been able to overtake orders, delivery of which had been delayed, but were also in a position to cope with the existing demand. The heavy importation of cement, together with ample local stocks, had resulted in the Golden Hav Cement Company temporarily dosing its works at Ternkohc. At the present time there were only the Milburn Lime and Cement Works, and Wilson’s (N.Z.) Portland Cement Works, at Portland, operating in the Dominion. The latter works were working at full capacity, but the Warkworth plant, also owned by the same company, had now been idle for twelve months.