CEMENT SHORTAGE ACUTE

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1920, Page 4

CEMENT SHORTAGE ACUTE

NONE FOR URGENT WORKS. DUE TO LACK OF COAL. By Telegraph.—Press' Assoclttfion. Christcluirch, Last Night. Regarding the shortage of cement »upplies for the Otira tunnel work*, Mr. W. <;. McDonald (chairman of the Board of Trade) said that in order to keep the tunnel works supplied special •biplncsits of cement had been arranged at different times. Dealing with the cement position generally, Mr. McDonald said it waa impossible at the present time to supply oven the most urgent and essential works with full quantities of cement, because it has not been produced On account of a lack of coal. The coal position was so bad"that one company had not produced a single ton of cement during the past fourteen or fifteen months. Tberc was a shortage of cement to-day in the Dominion of 50,000 tons. If the coal were available the acute phase of this shortage would be over in six months, although the leeway would not be made up for a very considerable time! Personally, he thought the consumption of cement was going to increase in the Dominion to considerably In excess of the pre-war consumption* as people were beginning to discover the manifold uses to which cement could be put. The Hon. F. P. Lee. President of the Board of Trade, was endeavoring to arrange with the coal control department for relief to be afforded the cement companies.