DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 29 November 1920, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS

THE CEfIIENT POSITION. BOARD OF TRADE EXPLANATION. [Per Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, November 2S. Regarding the shortage of cement supplies for the Otira tunnel works, Mr/,W. J. McDonald (chairman of the Board of Trade), said that in order to keep the tunnel works, supplied; special shipments of cement had been arranged at different times. Dealing with the cement position generally, Mr McDonald said it was impossible at the present time to' supply even the most urgent and essential works with full quantities of cement, because it was not being produced on account of a lack of coal. .The coal position was so bad that one company had not produced a single ton of cement dining the past fourteen or fifteen months. There was a shortage of cement today, in the Dominion of fifty thousand tons. If coal were available, the acute phase of this shortage would bo over in six months, although the leeway Avould not be made up for a very considerable time. Personally, he thought the consumption of cement was going to increase in the Dominion to considerably in excess of the pre-war consumption, as people were beginning to discover the manifold uses to which cement' could be put. The Hon. Sec. and President of -the Board of Trade were endeavouring to arrange with the Coal Control Department for relief to be afforded cement companies.