BUILDING MATERIAL OF STRAW

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27112, 7 August 1953, Page 13

BUILDING MATERIAL OF STRAW

NEW VENTURE PLANNED FOR CANTERBURY The prospectus has been issued of Stramit Boards (N.Z.), Ltd>, a company with a registered, authorised capital of £25,000, which plans to make building material from wheat straw and other agricultural waste such as oat, crested dogstail and fescue straws.

According to Mr J. E. Winsloe, a provisional director of the company, the probable site for the initial plant is Washdyke, and production of the special type of board involved Is expected to begin early in the New Year. Trie board, which has an outer skin of craft paper will, says Mr Winsloe, cost about 30 per cent, less than standard building materials and lends itself to rapid construction of houses.

Mr Winsloe say that only one machine of Swedish design will be used Initially, but, because of the vast quantities of raw material from farms in Canterbury alone, more manufacturing units would ultimately be operated. The one machine with which it was proposed to make a start would handle 3000 tons of wheat straw annually, and from this sufficient building material would be obtained for the building of 300 houses. The company expected to pay farmers a reasonable price for their straw in baled form.

The board, which originated in Sweden, is, says Mr Winsloe, used extensively throughout the world, and can be used for floors, ceilings, interior and exterior walls, and for under-roofing. The Birmingham City Council in England had just completed 500 houses of this material, the trade name of which is Stramit Board.

COMPANY NEWS

Whakatane Board’s Profit.—Whakatane Board Mills, Ltd’s., net profit for the year ended June 30 was £95,882. This was made after provision of £123,794 for tax and £65,124 for ordinary and special depreciation. Last year the net profit was £95,398, after providing £151,358 for tax and £47,039 for depreciation. Unchanged dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum on both classes of shares is to be recommended. The ex date will be advised later.—(P.A.)

Bulolo and Clutha Enterprise—Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd., and Clutha Development, Ltd., have formed a new company. Purchasers Incorporated Pty. Ltd., to engage in business as purchasing agents of mining and general supplies and services. Nominal capital is £AIOO,OOO, in £1 shares. Working capital will be subscribed by the promoting companies, which are off-shoots of Placer Development, Ltd. MINING Clutha River Dredge—For the week ended July 31, 213 ounces were recovered in 126 hours—(P.A.) High Cattle Prices—The pen of three steers from Spurtleton Downs (Omihi), which won first prize in a class of 17 entries at the Grand National, fat stock show on Tuesday, were sold for £59 a head at Addington on Wednesday. From the same class, the Canterbury Master Butchers* Association selected three steers most suitable for the butchery trade, but their award—the Butchers’ Cup—was made to three steers which had not been placed by the cattle judge, because they were naturally lighter beasts. They were sold for £5l a head.