CEMENT SHORTAGE.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17015, 11 December 1920, Page 7

CEMENT SHORTAGE.

• DISCUSSION BY BUILDERS. The general monthly meeting o£ the Canterbury Allied Building Trades Association ! of Employers was hold in the room®, 93 Gloucester street, on Thursday, the president (Mr W. H. Winsor). in the ohair. Correspondence to.i received from Mr P. R. Climio, organiser for tho Canterbury Progress League, reporting the result of his recent interview with the Government and the Board of Trade, regarding the supply of cement to Canterbury. Tho chairman, speaking 1 on, the subject, said tho position in Christchnroh a* nagarda cement, was particularly discouraging at the present time. Christchurch, together with Wellington, was absolutely starving for supplies. IS seemed that Auckland build»r» were getting- sufficient cement to enable them to proceed with tho laying of large areaa of concrete road?. Meanwhile at homo here, they were faoed with tho fact that larg® unnecessary building* were etill being l proeoeded with, using and getting large supplies of cement, whilst many workman's and soldiers' homes wero still being hold up for tho want of a lew bags to carry on with. They understood that n. largo jjortion of tho moat recent shipment had bfcon dlTGit<xl for public works, iiotably Otira tunnel. While advocating: tho puahinff on of!that '{&■ tensely national undertaking with tho greatest despatch he would auggwt that a. liko proportion of the ordinary erapplies from othor centres, could very well he diverted towards the finish of a work which would be a benefit to the whole Dominion. The builders of the city had loyally endeavoured to assist the Board of Trade, "by not grumbling at the allotments that'had. been made, but their patienco was just about exh&uated, arid it would appear that on early interview with Mr Massey wae their only chance of securing more equitable adjustment. Their chief complaint was the shortage of total supplies allocated to Canterbury and their infrequoncy, and not the ullotmeaits made in Christchurch. Owing to the meagre know-, ledge allowed to leak out with reepect tp cement, they might be -criticising tho methods of the Board of Trade without reason. However, he would suggest that the Board publish monthly in the Dominion Press the quantities of commit to tho different centres. , A lengthy dfecuEojon( followed, vatrfou* speakera endorsing the chairman's statements, which wore unanimously approved. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS. (By Cable—Press Association—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable " Association.) LONDON, December 9. Tho Bank of England return* for the week ending Deoember 88h afford the following oompaiiaon with, tihoae of the previous week:— _ _ • Deo. 1. Deo. 8. Coin and bullion 125,168,000 144,074,000 Reserve .. -- 112,959,000 18,916,000 Proportion of rMerr® to liabilities, p.<v 7.90 9.04 Note circulation .. 130,432,000 130,411,000 Government deposits 21,652,000 29,424,000 Oither depctfite >. 142,685,000 196,483,000 Government oeouritiea 98,896.000 80,708,000 Otlier securities 75,363.000 . 71.280,000 Short loans, 5J per cent.; threo months' bills, 6g per cent. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The following aro the latest quotations for Government securities, with a. comparison with'those ruling last week:— Last week. This week. r £ a. d. £ b. d. 21 per cent. Imp. Con. 44 0 0 <4 2 0 6 per cent. Imp. Wex Loon .. .. 83 S 0 83 2 0 34 per cent. Imp. \7vs Loan «« • • 8® ® 0 83 0 0 GJ per cent. G'wealth Loan .. .. 98 12 * 0B 6 0 BJ per cent. C'wealth Loan- .. .. M » 0 94 B 0 N.S.W. 4'fl, 1935, J*n.-J-uly .. 72 IS 0 75 7 6 N.S.W. 3J'e, 1935-50, April JBn.-July '' .. 62 0 0 63 0 0 N.S.W., B's, 1935, AprilOotober M 59 0 0 £8 16 0 N.S.W. 6l*s u .. 94 10 0 94 15 0 NjS.W. BJ's » .. 101 0 0 101 5 0 Vio. B&'s, 1921-6, 3*n«-J-uly .. 82 0 0 62 0 0 Vic. 3Vs, 1929-40, Jan.-J-uly .. .. 64 15 0 64 15 0 Vic. 3'a, 1929-49, Jan.July .. - 61 17 6 61 17 % Q'land 4'a, 1924, JftD.July .. .. 83 0 0 88 15 0 Q'land SJ'e, 1921-34, Jan.-July 81 0 Of- 8100 Q'land 3Vs, 1921-4, Jan.July .. .. 97 0 0 97 0 0 Q'land B's„ 1022-47, Jan.- • July - 48 3 « 49 3 8 N.Z. 4's, 1929, MayNov. .. ..M»0 92 0 0 N.Z. Bi'e, 1940, Jan.July .. 65 0 0 6313 6 ft.Z. S'e, 1945. April- . October •• 67 30 0 87 12 6 S.A. 3J's, 1916 or after 66 0 0 63 10 0 S.A. 3's, 1930, Jan.July .. ' .. 48 0 0 4fl IS 0 Ta®. 3Vs. 1920-45, Jan.Jxily ,• | •• 66 00,65 7 6 Tas. 3's, 1920-40 l Jan.July -.J .. 60 0 0 60 0 0 77.A. Bi's>, 1920-3», MayNovember 6S 17 6 68 17 6 •W.A. 3's, m 5-35, MayNovember 66 17 G 86 17 6 FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES. LONDON, December 9, The foreign exchange rates on London aSord the following comparison!— Par. Deo. 2t Paris: (fr.) .» 23.22% 58.15 58.67 Christiania (kx.) .1* 18.159 24.75 Stockholm (ir.) r . 18.159 17.90 17.91 Calcutta (rpe.) (10 to gold sov) 37Jd lGjd Montreal (dol.) •• 4*86 3.98 <1.99 New York (doL) .. 8.461 3.44 Yokohama (yen) .. 24J S4J 84} ENGLISH MARKETS. LONDON, _ December 9. "Wiheat—Tho market is quiet. Flour—The market is doll. Oata—market is steady. La. Hat». on spot, are quoted at 46s Cd per tfuexter. Barley—The market ia nnahanged. Peas and Bean9 —Tho market is qui«a» Sugar—Granulated 80s per cwt. W<Sj1 —At the eules the tono of the market -was unchanged. Eighty per cent, of the offering was withdrawn. Bradford conditions are unchanged. Quotations, which are very irregular, are:—64V, ITehraaiT'March delivery, 4s per lb. Metals—Tho decline in silrer • is due x lo heavy Continental selling and large Chines* offerings. METALS. LONDON, Deoembftr 9. Copper—Spot £79 17a Gd, forward £79-10*. Lead—Spot £26, forw&id £46 15®. , £31.

Tin—Spot £-32S 6s, forward £-3-2 3s 6d. 1 Silver—392d per cz. germax cxttlerv. - j WASHINGTON, Decemocr 10. , Manufacturers of cut!-.vy bafore j a Congreßjiotuii committee, aud declnrcci j that Germany was virtually driyintr out i American cutleiy from the American mar- j ket*. The United Siite Jactorios «ero virtiislW st h standstill, r.5 the Cierm.in products wix* the Amcr\' .-i manufacturing cost. ATCLr.OTTRXK MARKr.T^ MELBOURNE. Ilocvm'xr i- . Hides—Competition was Hccn «r.d am'u.i'. ed. Values ivero •unaltered { from hist- w.-.-t. Barlev—"Whito English -ts' 7d. Ci'Pe "jj ou. Oats—-ss. ?d to £» 4d. Pot.i-oes--£6 to £'•' Onions—£9 10«. NO Xl-VW AUSTIvALIAV LOAN. MKLBOURNE. Dcveiuber ;o Sir Joseph Cook (Federal | deni«l the re-port that the Coxmonvtai:V. is oor.templatinjj ft jeiO.OCO.CnO lor.n, j TALIOTV. | Daigt'iy and Company, Ltd., Ij*vtv T«-e;vod tho following cablegram from tlieir London office, dated Deeember Bth;—''TaUew—At the vrceklv auctions 1400 casks were offered iii-.*i 220 gold. Fine sorts were easier, and ljiicec for other descriptions wre i:ncliang<>d." The Ne-.v- Zealand Loan and M«jncan!i'e Agency Co.. Ltd., adviae having reeved tho foilotvonff cablegram from London, under date Bth' instant:—"Tallow.—"We quote present spot values for tlie following descriptions: — Fine mutton, £2 ISs 6d per cwt.; good be*!, £2 17<j per cwt.; mixed, £2 0s per cwt. Restricted demand." Messrs Booth and Co.'s London house advi«ee under date Sth l'nst., that there was \ r ery little business done at the wecltly tallow" pale. In nil 1553 casks were offered ; and 219 sold. Nomir.sl quotations are unehansed." I j