STORY DENIED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 July 1939, Page 7

STORY DENIED

PAYMENT FOR AUSTRALIAN STEEL NO GOVERNMENT DEFAULT. NOTHING OWING TO BROKEN HILL COMPANY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A denial that the Now Zealand Government was owing an Australian company for steel already supplied and that the company had refused to supply further steel to New Zealand till payment for material supplied was assured. was made by the Acting-Lea-der of the House, Mr Fraser, in a statement in the House of Representatives yesterday. "Regarding the statement made.that the New Zealand Government, was indebted to the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, Ltd., in the sum of £lOO.OOO, and that the company has refused to supply further steel to New Zealand until payment for material supplied was assured,” said Mr Fraser, "the position in so far as the Public Works Department is concerned is that absolutely nothing is owing to the company for steel supplies. “It is true the department has large commitments to the company for future supplies, but payment is not required until delivery is made, and delivery is not called for until certain specified distant dates. In so far as the company itself is concerned, it has fulfilled and agreed to fulfil all outstanding orders placed in the first sixmonthly period covered by the import restrictions, but it asks that before orders lodged during the second sixmonthly period are fulfilled credit shall first be arranged.

"Subject to this condition, the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, Ltd., will supply all New Zealand orders lodged with it. It is authoritatively stated that the recent Press statement made in regard to the refusal of steel companies to supply steel in fulfilment of New Zealand orders did not emanate from the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, Ltd., but from some other source, and does not represent that company’s attitude.”