BUILDING SUPPLIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27514, 7 October 1950, Page 6

BUILDING SUPPLIES

Shortage Never More Acute PA WELLINGTON, Oct. 6.

“At no time since the war have supplies of timber, cement, and, to a limited extent, wallboard been as difficult as at present. There is not sufficient timber to keep the men at present engaged on housing fully employed.’’ These points were made in a statement today by Mr K. R. Smith, president of the New Zealand Builders’ Federation. He said there was a greater amount of timber-framed’ building being done at present than ever before, and because of that fact the supply of timber, in spite of Acord production at the mills, was insufficient to meet the demand.

“ Most builders, particularly the smaller firms, are compelled to spend an anpreciable amount of time hunting for supplies of timber and other materials,” said Mr Smith. “On many occasions, it has been suggested that a greater proportion of the labour force in the industry should be concentrated on housing in an endeavour to alleviate in some way the desperate shortage of family accommodation. It however, be folly to attempt to put more men on to this type of work, because the necessary materials are just not available.”

“In addition, a large proportion of workers in the industry have been wholly trained for a heavier type of construction work, and these men could not be economically employed in housing.”

Special slugs were used for the first time in automatic date-stamping machines at Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin for cancelling health stamps on first-day covers. The slugs, made in the Post Office workshops, bore the inscription, “First day of issue.”