CEMENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18574, 29 November 1920, Page 6

CEMENT.

CAUSE OF SHORTAGE. BOARD Of 1 TRADE'S ACTIVITIES. Statements made last week by Mr P. R. Olimie, organiser for the Progress League, relative to the work of 'lining the Arthur's Pass tunnel having been retarded owing to the shortage of supplies of cement were brought under the notice of Mr W. 0. M'Donald, chairman of the Board of Trad.e_.on Saturday. Mr M'Donald said that he had seen the statements. In order to keep the tunnel works supplied special' shipments of cement had been arranged at different times; one such shipment waß sent to Timaru; and .quite recently advantage was taken of the steamship Kaiapoi being at Whangnrei to load a full cargo for. demands south of Auckland, and a big quantity from this shipment was forwarded to the Otira end of the tunnel. Dealing with the cement position generality, Mr M'Donald said:—"lt is impossible at the present time to supply even the most urgent and essential works with full quantities of cement, because it is not being produced on account of lack of coal. Both Wilson's Portland Cement Company and the Golden Bay Cement during the past eight weeks have experienced groat difficulty to keep going at all on account of the coal shortage. Since August 7 .Itast these two companies have fallen short of their average production—-not their capacity production—by approximately 16,006 tons; or, put another way, these companies, in the period indicated, did not receive their averse supply of coal by a quantity appro&v mately between 10,000 and 11.000 tons. The coal position is so bad that there is another company that has not produced a single ton of cement during the past fourteen or fifteen months—and it is all a question of coal. This company kept Us force of workmen on for nine months in the hope that the coal position would improve; but the fore* of circumstances was too strong and the working force had to be disbanded." '' Is there any sign or indication of the position improving? Mr M'Donald was asked.

" If there is any possibility of giving the cement companies adequate supplies of coal they could produce to-day, with their present plants, at the rate, approximately, of 160,000 tens per annum ;. the actua), production is at the rate, approximately, of 85,000 tons per annum. In addition, the companies would, I believe, if offered any encouragement, increase their plants. There is a shortage of cement to-day in the Dominion of 50,000 tons. If coal were available the acute phase of this shortage would he over in six months; although the leeway would not he made up for a very considerable time. Personally, I think that the consumption of cement is going to increase in the Dominion to considerably in excess of the pre-war consumption, due to the fact that people are beginning to discover the manifold uses to which cement can be put. The Hon E. P. Lee, the President of the Board of Trade, ia endeavouring to arrange with the Coal Control Department for relief to be afforded the cement companies."