SHORTAGE OF CEMENT.
DUTY ON IMPORTATIONS.
QUESTION OF REMISSION. SUPPLIES FOR BUILDINGS. [BY TELEGRAPH. — SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Saturday. The cement shortage was mentioned in the House this morning by Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmerßton), -who brought to the notice of the Prime Minister a com,munScation he had- received from the Kairanga County Council. The letter suggested that, in view oj the fact that the Government had not for some considerable time received any. revenue from the duty on imported cement, and in view also of the acute shortage of the commodity in the Dominion, the Government should allow unlimited quantities of cement to be imported free of duty. If the suggestion made by the Council were given ett'ect to, Mr. Nash submitted, it would be a great help to the local bodies throughout the country. Mr. Massey replied that everyone knew there was an extraordinary demand for cement, and on account of that fact the Government had for the time being remitted the duty on imported cement. Of course, the question was one that would have to go before Cabinet, but, so far as he knew, there as no intention to replace the duty just at present. The largest cement works in New Zealand, those at Whangarei, had been considerably handicapped lately by the fact that the > coalmine on which they depended for most of their coal supplies had been flooded by heavy rains. In the meantime there was a demand for cement from every part of New Zealand. Judging by the demand, the amount of building in progress at the present time must he enormous. He believed it was. Mr. A. Hamilton (Wallace) * asked the Minister for Mines -when the report from the Otago School of Mines regarding the possibility of developing the cement industry in the Nightcaps district would be available. They had been patiently awaiting the publication of the report to see «jf it would be feasible to start the industry. •
_ Mr. Massev said there had been delay in the work of the Government Printing "Office, but he would eee that the report was available as soon as possible.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17622, 8 November 1920, Page 8
Word Count
352SHORTAGE OF CEMENT. New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17622, 8 November 1920, Page 8
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