IRON FAMINE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20259, 29 May 1940, Page 11

IRON FAMINE

VARIOUS EXPEDIENTS SEARCH OF RUBBISH TIPS HOLD-UP IN BUILDING Scarcities of iron products needed by manufasturers and others that were caused by the war and import control have been so intensified by the effects of the Australian coal strike that for some classes famine conditions exist in Auckland. Individual resource is sometimes overcoming supply difficulties in unusual ways. For example, one large contractor, unable to .purchase supplies of wire needed for tying fabricated steel, sent men to search rubbish dumps at Mechanics’ and Hobson’s Bays. They obtained quantities of pieces of wire. These were annealed in a home-made furnace, and used on his contracts. There has been much investigation of rubbish dumps generally for iron. Houses Lacking Hoofs

Corrugated iron has been in demand by plumbers and other manufacturers, who roll out the corrugations and use the flat iron thus obtained for their various purposes. A charge of 4ld a sheet has become general for this work, and costs are further increased by cartage. Two small shipments of corrugated iron came to Auckland from England several weeks ago and were delivered to customers at the wharf. It is stated there are no more stocks for sale in Auckland. A large amount of building is held up in the province through lack of roofing iron. In many instances it is stated, the walls of houses and other buildings have been erected for weeks, and owners and builders arc quite in the dark as to when they will be able to obtain supplies of iron for the rools. Galvanised Pipes Lack of supplies of galvanised pipes from Australia to reinforce shipments from Britain has produced another serious scarcity of this material, more especially in certain grades. Hoop iron mav not now be exported from Britain, "and plumbers who use this material for spouting brackets arc cutting black iron and galvanising it There is a serious shortage of structural steel and of most sizes of reinforcing rods. .Barbed and plain fencing wire is very scarce, and the shortage has now extended to wire netting of which supplies recently were fair. It is considered it will be some months before the leeway in Australian iron and steel production through the coal strike is overcome.