THE CEMENT SHORTAGE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 14239, 20 October 1920, Page 5

THE CEMENT SHORTAGE.

AND BOROUGH WORKS. AX ACUTE POSITION. The Borough Council at its meeting last evening again had before it the ■question of the cement shortage. ‘*We have here before us once more -he same old text and the same old sermon,” said the' Mayor, as the matter came before'the Council.’ Air G. R. Sykes, M.P., wrote stating That in reference to the request made by the Council to him he had brought before the Board of Trade authorities -the acute shortage of cement which 8d the. Borough Council, and had e urgent representations that the tion be relieved. He had, further, .brought rho matter under the, notice of the Alinister. The Mayor; “Now, how much lurcher ahead are we? Ten tons of cein<Ent were received by a local firm a few tlays ago for distribution, and how much •did we receive? A whole nine bags. We require 20 tons per week for our ♦ urgent drainage works, but where are we going to get it? Through this shortage of cement we are paying off our bands and losing the best part of the season for our work as well. The Mayor pointed out from the information he had received from official quarters there was practically no hope of obtaining cement for at least three 7aonth.s . ' The borough engineer made a- similar statement to that of the Mayor m resgard to the shortage of cement. CT. Perry protested that the principle in connection with the control aiiiA distribution of cement was wrong, Mayor suggested that the engmempowered to- indent a fairly large quantity of cement. Cr. Henderson stated that he would amove in the direction indicated by the Mayor. He was satisfied that Air ayikes had done his best in connection •with the matter. It was apparent that strings were peing pulled somewhere m aegard to the supply of cement. ’ Cr. Candy: “Would it not be better if the engineer were given a free hand io "ct cement wherever he can, and xot° restrict him in the matter of xriee? To my mind, the whole thing is a question of price. If you are prepared to pay the price for cement you -• ill get it, just as with other goods you * l get them if. you are prepared to i e the price asked.” Cr. Candy statthat the engineer should be empowered To indent cement, purchase it at the ship’s side, or obtain it anywhere he could. , Subsequently Cr. Henderson altered his motion to cover the ground mentioned by Cr. Candy. Cr. O’Leary seconded the motion, / Which was carried. . ' „ Mi Sykes’ letter was “received, . as -wAilse another letter fromthc Prime AfflSster on the cement shortage.