BRICK SHORTAGE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 181, 2 August 1944, Page 3

BRICK SHORTAGE

SUPPLIES RATIONED STEPPING-UP PRODUCTION Acute difficulties experienced in the manufacture and supply of bricks in the Auckland district should be relieved to a considerable extent in the near future as a result of the direction of more men and an assurance of an improved supply of coal. For months past the quantities available .week by week have been strictly rationed according to priority requirements, and few have been released for private building.

"At present we are producing at the rate of about 6,000,000 bricks annually," said a representative of the largest organisation engaged in the supply in Auckland, in reply to an inquiry to-day. He added that it was anticipated the production rate would be nearly doubled, to reach an average of 11,000,000 annually by the end of September, as a result of the additional manpower and coal to be provided.

Normal production from his group of works, he stated, was at the rate of 16,000,000 bricks annually, but to reach that level a further 80 men and an additional 200 tons of coal a month would be needed. The output of these works was estimated to be SO per cent of the Auckland supply.

No time would be lost in stepping up production from the low level to which it had fallen, he added, and it was anticipated that before many weeks passed the building trade and the public would feel the benefit. Of late the highest priority for brick orders was shared by hospital jobs, of which several were in progress, including the Green Lane Hospital, and by extensions or repairs to premises for food production or munition making. Next were State houses, and then private houses, but these last had had a particularly lean time.

Long lists of booked orders were in the hands of Auckland merchants and brick manufacturers, it was stated, and every day new orders were being received. By weekly allocations every endeavour was being made to meet the most urgent demands.