CEMENT INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 52, 24 November 1928, Page 23

CEMENT INDUSTRY

IS THERE A MONOPOLY? Is there a monopoly of the cement business in the Dominion? The question was touched on at Monday night’s meeting of the Christchurch City Council, states the “Press.” Councillor E. R.-McCombs asked if the lowest tender had been accepted in respect of the supply and delivery, of cement .required for the reconstructing of Lincoln Road, the council, having accepted the tender of Blackburne, Smith, and Co. of £5 lOs. Gd. per ton, less 5 per cent, .delivered on the job. “They were all the lowest,” commented a councillor. Councillor H. T. ikrrnstrong, M.P., said that of six tenders received only one was in respect of English cement. Each of the live tenderers for New Zealand cement had put iu similar tenders. Councillor D. G. Sullivan, M.P.: “Great minds think alike.’’ . “Yes, it is an illustration of great minds thinking alike,” said Councillor Armstrong. “In New Zealand we have almost unlimited supplies of cement. I can take you to the Auckland and Nelson districts and show you the mountains of it. but a few firms monopolise it. It should be taken in hand by the Government. It seems to me nothing short of a scandal.” Councillor Armstrong added that, seeing there were such large quantities of the raw material to be had in the Dominion. it seemed to him that there was something wrong if cement could be brought all the way from tho Old Country and sold in the Dominion at a few shillings per ton more than the local, article. When so many tenders were alike, the council when accepting one might in such a case put them all in a hat and pick one out.