NAILS “DESPERATELY SHORT”

Evening Star, Issue 23421, 11 November 1939, Page 10

NAILS “DESPERATELY SHORT”

RATIONING IN 2SLB LOTS NO WIRE AVAILABLE FOR MANUFACTURE FAR-REACHING EFFECTS VISUALISED Nail stocks are desperately short in Dunedin at present. There is a medium stock of roofing iron, but no lead-head nails to fasten it down —there are none procurable. The best stock of nails in Dunedin at present is confined to a very small space, where once was a huge stack of boxes. There seems to be no likelihood of the position easing appreciably in future. These were the assertions of* a Dunedin hardware warehouseman this morning. Through the Government's policy of exchange control, he said in explanation of the position, the Australian Government refused to allow goods out of the country for New Zealand buyers unless the New Zealand Government made available from Reserve Bank overseas funds enough money to pay for the shipments. Money could not he used that was available in Australia by overseas firms. With the policy of rationing of overseas funds the money for the purchase by Dominion companies of wire for nail manufacture from Australia was extended over a long period, which meant that stocks were running short and further supplies were not coming forward in the usual quantities to ,replace them. WAR HAS DRASTIC EFFECT. When war broke out, he continued, the Imperial and Australian Governments took oyer all stocks of wire and refused to allow any to he exported. This meant that New Zealand, whether she had the money to purchase or not, could not buy nail wire from Australia, “ Now the companies making wire nails in the Dominion have closed down through lack of materials, or will have to do so when stocks of wire are exhausted. One in Dunedin has done so. EFFECT ON MANY TRADES. “ With nails at a premium it can readily be realised that building necessarily must be curtailed. This affects not onlv the carpentry trade, but also all allied trades—hardware dealers, plumbers, bricklayers, electrical fitters, and all the tradesmen associated in the erection and installation of houses, for how can the others work when no nails are forthcoming first to build the houses? ” he asked. “ The position is a desperate one, he concluded. “We are rationing nails at the rate of 281 b to each man, but as far as lead-head nails are concerned, there are none procurable, although there is a medium supply of roofing iron to be had. We wired to Christchurch for nails recently—they laughed at us.” The implications of such a situation can readily bo realised. Noah made wooden nails suffice, so it seems must New Zealand builders, when existing short stocks give out completely. AMERICA HAS PLENTY. However, some consolation may be taken from the fact that America at the outbreak of war had thousands of tons of nails of every description for which she could not find a place on the world’s markets, which was the information gleaned by a recent Dunedin visitor to the States. Perhaps the New Zealand Government- could ‘ alleviate the position by availing itself of the “ cash and carry ” system.