CEMENT WORKS CLOSED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 134, 18 March 1948, Page 5

CEMENT WORKS CLOSED

LACK OF COAL AT PORTLAND (P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 17. Because of lack of coal, Wilson’s Portland cement works, south of Whangarei and the sole supplier of cement for the North Island, will close down at midnight. By that time the coal supplies on which the works depend will be exhausted. No more coal is expected till Wednesday at the earliest. Unless when coal arrives continuity of supply is assured it is unlikely the factory will resume production until after Easter. The company has sufficient supplies of cement to last till the end of the month, but with the works idle valuable reserve stocks will be used. These stocks are normally kept for the winter when coal supplies are short liecause of increased domestic demand. Repercussions of the factory’s shutdown will be felt in the building trades almost immediately. Represensentalions have been made, by the interests affected, to the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer), the Minister of Mines (the Hon. A. H. McLagan), and the chairman of the Parliamentary housing committee (Mr M. Moohan) urging action to provide immediate coal supplies and maintain continuity of supplies in the future.