SHORTAGE OF CEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17347, 19 December 1919, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF CEMENT.

♦ —; \ CAUSE OF THE SCARCITY. INADEQUTE COAL SUPPLY. ! AUCKLAND COMPANY'S POSITION. » The serious shortage of cement through- > out the Dominion was discussed yesterday • by the Auckland manager for Wilsons Portland Cement Company, Mr. S. R«id. ( Mr.- Reid denied the statement made by , the Mayor of Wellington, Mr. J. P. Luke, . in his appeal to the Prime Minister, to ; the effect that boats trading from Auck- , land to the cement works are employed for . other purposes. He said that practically i no cement was available at,the Portland , cement works, and that the Warkworth , works- had been closed for three months owing solely to the inadequate coal supply. The company had four vessels, two ' of which were engaged in the hydraulic cement industry, another was undergoing repairs, while the remaining vessel was employed in transporting cement from Portland. The amount of cement produced did not require further shipping space; in fact, offers of space by.-the Northern Company and others , had been refused. Provided it could obtain adequate supplies of bituminous coal for burning cement clinker, the company alone could supply over 8000 tons of cement a month, and if all the plants in the Dominion could secure full capacity supplies of. coal the output would exceed 14,000 tons a month. The demand throughout the Dominion was at present only 8,500 tons a month. The cement* mills of the Dominion had i been able to produce only 7000 tons a i month since June, though a greater output ; might be obtained if advantage were taken ; of the offer of coal from Newcastle, entailing an increased cost of cement of at least [■ £2 a ton. The output of cement throughout the Dominion must remain curtailed until sufficient supplies of coal were ob- : tainable.