MATERIALS FOR BUILDING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25305, 3 October 1947, Page 6

MATERIALS FOR BUILDING

IMPROVED SUPPLIES PREDICTED

STEPS TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

(PA.) WELLINGTON, October 2. Some improvement in the supply of construction materials could be expected during the coming year, and a substantial improvement might fbllow in the second year, as a result of steps being taken to improve production and transport, said the Commissioner of Works (Mr E. R. McKillop) to-day. Mr McKillop said that if there were manpower to tackle the work immediately ahead, the demand for cement would reach 400,000 tons, but New Zealand could not use more than 300,000 tons. Even this figure could not be reached because, although the capacity of the New Zealand plants was 315,000 tons, problems of transport, plant, and coal supplies would reduce production to about 200,000 tons. The production of 18,000,000 bricks would meet only half the demand, and although timber production had never been higher, at an estimated 345,000,000 superficial feet, this would be well below the year’s demand for 418,000,000 superficial feet. Transport was the main difficulty in the North Island, and deliveries from the South Island to the North Island were only about oneseventh of the normal quantities. New Zealand needed 50,000 tons of structural reinforcing steel this year, but only half that tonnage was likely to be available, mainly from Australia, providing there w6re shipping Although production was spasmodic, the prospect was that the full demand for 60.000,000 square feet of wallboards would be met. Imports from Britain of sanitary earthenware were unlikely to be increased. The demand was for 56,000 pieces, and the estimated supply was 39.000, with the local production of 18,000 pieces of reasonable quality. The production of second-grade articles was much too high in proportion to first grade, added Mr McKillop. In roofing materials, the production of cement and earthenware tiles had shown the greatest advance, and it was increasing rapidly, but there was a shortage of 2.000,000 square yards of asbestos cement roofing and of corrugated iron, of which only 2000 or 3000 tons were expected, leaving a gap