SALE OF IRON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 29 January 1940, Page 9

SALE OF IRON

NEW RESTRICTIONS 1 ESSENTIAL USES ONLY j ACTION BY GOVERNMENT Because of scarcity, the Government has restricted the selling of sheet iron and iron piping to certain uses. There are very few purposes for which roofing iron can now be purchased other than a: a roofing material (says the “N.Z. Herald”). It may not now be sold when it is intended to use it for covering the external walls of buildings and outhouses, or for fencing, covers for haystacks, billboards and hoardings. New regulations are intended to ensure that iron piping is not used except for plumbing, electrical or gas work, freezing or other essential purposes. It may not be sold for fencing and gates. tennis court surrounds, handrails, hoardings, wireless masts, playground equipment, lamp standards and supports, flagpoles and similar purposes where other types of material -an be used. PREVENTING HOARDING Aimed at preventing the hoarding and stocking of supplies of sheet iron and iron piping, instructions have been • issued by the Department of Industries i and Commerce that wholesale distributors must not supply re-sellers unless they have signed orders from consumers for whom the material is intended. A member of each staff of leading distributors has been appointed an authorised officer who is responsible for <eeing that the regulations are carried ~ut. There are now hopes that the supply j j situation of both sheet iron and piping will be improved by shipments from , the United Kingdom in two or three I months. Australia has been helping to

relieve the position, for which it is stated, the war is only partly responsible. The attitude of perhaps the largest British supplier of iron piping i instanced in this respect. It refused 'co ship under the previous import period spread payment scheme. It demanded cash in London on shipment. WIRE FOR NAILS By special arrangement with the Government nail manufacturers are importing 2000 tons of Belgian nail wire, it is stated. A first consignment ot 250 ton;* was recently shipped. It is also believed in the trade that at the instance of the Housing Department the Government has imported | nails from the United States. Supplies | of nails on the markets are still embarrassingly short.