THE IRON TRADE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3159, 10 August 1917, Page 4

THE IRON TRADE

'.THREATENED SHORTAGE OF PIGIRON. The iron trade of New Zealand iJ threatened with trouble in the form of a, shortage of pig-iron, owing to the closing down of certain sources of supplies from overseas. Normally, most_ of tha-pig-iron used by tho foundries in NewZealand came 'from the Old Country, but tho urgent need of the full output at Homo for war purposes closed up that source of supply some time ago. Another source of supply was India, which turned out a very fair quality of "pig," but that is now unobtainable. Ausfcra-' lia was supplying a restricted quantity up till a few months ago, when the Commonwealth Government placed an enw bargo on further exportation, and nov? those firms with contracts .have been left, lamenting. It is hopeless to expect any supplies from America, owing to tho war engagements of that country, so that exactly where supplies aro to come from for New Zealand in the future is not known by those in tho trade. At tho present time tho need is so urgent that the country is being combed for scraniron of any kind, and prices aro_ being obtained that would have been deemed ridiculous a few years ago. One local foundry recently paid as much as .£7 10s. per ton for some high-grade scrapiron, and for lower grade scrap-iron from <£3 10s. to M 10s. is being paid, Tu tho meantime the local ironmasters' have approached the Minister of Munitions A. Myers), to seo if the em< bargo ou Australian pig-iron cannot be lifted as far as the Dominion is concern' ed. The Australian article is of fair quality, but too close-grained to allow of Iho intermixture of much scrap, in which regard the Indian "pig" is much better. 'As the industry now stands, any pig-iron .would bo welcomed by the trade.