"STARTING FOR CEMENT"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17651, 11 December 1920, Page 10

"STARTING FOR CEMENT"

CHRISTCHURCH COMPLAINTS. BUILDING WOBK DELAYED- » AUCKLAND'S SHARE, CRITICISED. [BT TELEiBAPH.—OWN COBUESPOKDBNT. ] , ■ CHRIST/CHURCH. .Friday. At a meeting of the Canterbury Allied Building trades Association the president, Mr. W. H. Winsor, speaking on the subject of the cement shortage, said the position in Christchurch as regards cement was particularly discouraging at the present time. Christchurch, with Wellington, was absolutely starving for supplies. Auckland was getting sufficient cement to proceed with the laying of of concrete roads. Why was this possible when other sections of the community were starving and necessary works were held up? In CKristchurch, he continued, large unnecessary buildings were still being proceeded with, using and getting large supplies of cement, while many workmen's and soldiers' homes were being delayed for the want of a few bags to carry on with. He understood that a large portion of the most recent shipment had been diverted for public works, notably, the Otira tunnel. While they advocated the pushing on of that national undertaking with the greatest dispatch, and would deny themselves, they would suggest that a like proportion of the ordinary supplies from other centres could very well be diverted toward the finishing of the work. The Christchurch builders had loyally endeavoured to assist the Board of Trade by not grumbling at the allotments that had been made, but their patience was just about exhausted, and it would appear that an early interview with Mr. Massey was" their only chance of securing a more- equitable adjustment. The Auckland and Dunedin cement companies should be compelled # to find their share of Canterbury's requirements, and it was clearly the duty of the Government to see that sufficient coal was supplied for the purpose of keeping the cement works going at full capacity in time of need.