GALVANIZED IRON

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 22, 20 October 1944, Page 6

GALVANIZED IRON

Reply To Allegations In Court STATEMENT BY MINISTER Commenting last night’ on the allegations made by Mr. C. <S. Thomas in the Christchurch .Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Mr. Nordmeyer. speaking on behalf of the Minister of Supply aud Munitions, said that New Zealand’s pre-war usage of galvanized iron was approximately 21,000 tons a year, but during the past 3J years a total of only 20.000 tons bad been received into New Zealand. Of this quantity approximately 17,500 tons had been issued, with the result that stocks today totalled approximately 2400 tons only.

The Minister stated that a review which had recently been completed indicated that the Dominion could not anticipate any general relief for several months, but that shipments which had recently arrived would enable a small allocation of plain galvanized iron to be made to spouting and downpipe manufacturers for the purpose of satisfying the most essential demands for repair work. This allocation would be made in the near future, and accordingly it would be appropriate for applications for the release of spouting and downpipe for urgent repair work to be submitted immediately through the usual merchant channels to district building controllers.

With reference to Mr. Thomas’s statements that Australia could supply New Zealand with as much galvanized iron as Ihe Dominion required, Ihe Minister slued that during the (last year Australia had been able to supply only approximately two-fifths of the quantity for which .orders had been placed, aud the latest information which had been received from Australia carried no suggestion that the position would improve iu the immediate future.

Mr. Nordmeyer said that clay and concrete roofing tiles, bituminous fabric roofing and asbestos cement roofing were tlie only materials available at present for new constructional works. Asbestos cement roofing, which was the subject of comment by Mr. Thomas, had been extensively used in the Dominion before the war. In 1939 the retail price of standard corrugated asbestos cement roofing in Christchurch was 5 2-9 d. a square foot, including sales tax. At that time 24-guage galvanized corrugated iron was approximately 4 7-Bd. a square foot, and 26-guage galvanized corrupated iron was 4 l-Bd. a square foot. At present, standard corrugated asbestos cement sheets were sold retail at 5 7-9 d. a square foot, including sales tax, compared witli 7 1-4 d. a square foot for 24-gaugc galvanized corrugated iron and 6d. a square foot for 26-gnuge. '['lie Minislcr said that when it was considered that wooden sarking was usually fixed under a galvanized corrugated iron roof and that Ibis was not required under an asbestos cement roof, also that galvanized iron required periodical painting, it was obvious that the cost of asbestos cement roofing compared favourably with iron at present prices.