THE SCARCITY OF BRICKS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 4978, 30 May 1903, Page 2

THE SCARCITY OF BRICKS.

INCREASED PLANT ORDERED PROM ENGLAND. Tho present extraordinary scarcity of bricks and ' tho mcMiyomoaice cons#* quently suffered by tlioso; concerned in : huildiug operations .in tlio city, j«s fully discussed at a meeting of the Wellington Brickinakers’ Association on Thursday night. For r some time • past the demand for bricks for new buildings has con- - sid’erably exceeded the supply, and though in the meantime tho association Iras made every effort to cope with this greatly-increased' demand, and -has sought in every part of the city for a ■ larger area, of ground for drying pur- , poses and plant.the difficulties in the way have been almost insuperable. However, as .the result of Thursday night’s meeting, tho association’! lias coma to an important decision which, it is expected, will enable the members, to increase the present output of bricks, threefold. It was decided to materially enlarge the brickmaking plants of the city, and as a .result of this decision cable messages have, been sent to. London, conveying orders for improved electrical .machinery, which, it is expected, will bo to hand and at work two months hence. .Air Peter Hutson proposes '"to. insta.l a 35 horse-power electro motor at his establishment, and to erect new drying-sheds, which will bo built tier upon tier, in view of the difficulty in securing a wider area of ground for 'this purpose; Every member of the association proposes to enlarge his plant, so that in two months from now tho present scarcity of brick-.', should bo at an end. . Tho price of bricks was also discussed by tho .association at this meeting ■About eighteen months ago the price • was reduced from £2 12s 6d to £2 7s 6cl per thousand delivered; and tho association has all along kept to these terms, and, despite the scarcity, has continued to supply bricks at that price. Tho members recognises that whore contracts have been entered into, it would be unfair to raise the price for bricks 'for ■works in progress; hut the opinion was expressed at tho meeting that, in view of tho increased outlay now decided upon for new machinery, drying sheds, etc., tho time would probably arrive when an increase in the price of brick: would be unavoidable. However, the - prico will bob be raised for bricks for any work in progress. Speaking to a representative of the “Now Zealand Times” yesterday, Sir J. A. Connell, secretary of the ’Wellington Brick-makers’ Association, ex- , plained that tho,association, in discussing_ the question of the price, had no desire to take advantage of the present ■_ scarcity of bricks. The only question was whether, in view of the additional outlay for plant, -etc., such a step might not become necessary at some future time. The cause of tho present scarcity of bricks'Air Connell says, may be directly traced to' the influence of the rating on unimproved values in the city. c .This, ho says, has given the present impetus to building operations, and the result Is seen in the fact that whereas rimrn were eighteen months ago one million bricks stacked in tho yards of • tho city, to-day there is not one.