FOUNDRIES’ PIG IRON

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25363, 10 December 1947, Page 6

FOUNDRIES’ PIG IRON

0 SUPPLIES ALMOST EXHAUSTED CRITICAL POSITION IN CHRISTCHURCH Foundries in Christchurch have nearly exhausted their supplies of gi| iron again. Tfie secretary of the Cab" ter bury Manufacturers'' Associatioa (Mr R. T. Alston) said yesterday that the situation was again very critical, and one of the largest foundp* the city had only enough pig iron to last for a few more days. Mr Alston said that endeavours were being made to obtain some supplies pig iron from the Railway Depart’ fnent. These might tide over the feUpdries now in a critical position until a shipment arrived from Australia 18 the New Year. The Australian ship? ment would ease the situation temporarily, but efforts were being made t® establish continuity of supply fro® Australia tor next yepr. The Qlenpark, which is reported ta have left Adelaide for Melbourne, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin, hgs » large cargo of pig iron for the South Island, but she is not expected a* Lyttelton before the end of ibis month. In her cargo are 1755 tons of pig iro n for Lyttelton, and 1750 tpn# <9 r Dunedin. Supplies of steel for Christchurch foundries have not been plentiful, frut there has been no acute shortage, firms have been able to keep going from shipment to shipment Industrial troubles in Australia have delayed shipments, and efforts made by Ministry of Supply to obtain supphea from other sources have been tissue? cessful. There is no chance of ing ordinary steel sections from the United States or Canada because the dollar situation, and althm#* 1 special steels have been imported nag} Britain, the greater part of Briti*® production is required for reconstruction work- As a result New Zeala®9 foundries and engineering firms MV* to be content with what steal Australia can supply. The Lodestone, which is expected f leave Sydney this month for Lyttelton, Timaru. Dunedin, and Bluff. M 9 '2364 tons of steel for the South UJW' The cargo includes 1422 tons of bijletf. 92 tons of pipes, 136 tons of reinforC' ing rounds, and 370 tons of s^ct ’ o?l J,’ all from Port Kembla. Cargo fro® Newcastle includes 184 tons of see tjons, and 160 tons of plates.