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Sanitary Earthenware (Demand, 56,000 pieces; estimated supply, 39,000 pieces) Local production of reasonable-quality articles is only 18,000 pieces. Production is hampered by lack of transport, imported material, and labour shortages. Production of second-grade articles is much too high in proportion to first-grade, whilst seasonal difficulties in working the clay-pits are met. Because of production difficulties and a high domestic demand, the United Kingdom has imposed an export quota on these goods and importations are thus unlikely to be* increased. Roofing-materials (1) Asbestos cement —corrugated and flat; (2) galvanized iron—corrugated: (3) cement and earthenware tiles. Present availability is approximately: (1) 3,000,000 square yards; (2) 2,000 to 3,000 tons; (3) 7,000,000 tiles. Production of asbestos-cement products is hampered by coal, power, transport, asbestos, and labour shortages. Galvanized iron is wholly imported and availability amounts to little more than 10 per cent, of pre-war supplies. Tile-production is increasing rapidly and further production amounting to 4,600,000 tiles per annum should be available this year. Had other roofing-materials been available to meet a portion of the demand, the tile position: would undoubtedly be satisfactory. There is an immediate shortage of 2,000,000 square yards of asbestos-cement products and 18,000 tons of corrugated iron, much of which would go on urgent repairs to existing roofs. However, any improvement in the supply of any one product, such as the extra tile-production proposed, will assist the position for roofing. Builders' Hardware; Plumbers' Supplies; Electrical Fittings In many cases the availability of these goods is largely dependent on the continuance of an adequate supply of raw materials from overseas. Generally speaking, plant and labour are available in sufficient quantities to maintain output at a rate high enough to meet demand. On occasion, however, fluctuations in the receipt of raw materials have caused temporary shortages in supply. Whilst, there is no great surplus in any one line, current requirements! are being met. This necessitates a considerable amount of substitution at times, as there are no stocks from which to draw. PERMANENT HOUSING This subject is of sufficient importance to warrant special comment. There is no doubt at all that throughout the whole Dominion, and particularly in the metropolitan areas, there is at present a very grave housing shortage, but on the broader or longer-term basis the figures popularly quoted as representing the housing shortage are open to question. These would indicate that the country will be faced within the next fifteen years with finding 160,000 to 180,000 houses, representing an expenditure, in the order of £300,000,000. Increasing the capital assets of the nation by so large an amount in this respect only within such a comparatively short period must undoubtedly have an effect on the national economy. With housing taking up over two-thirds of the whole building potential, the remaining potential is not sufficient to satisfy the demands for commercial buildings, hotel accommodation, industries,

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