Evening star., 1950-09-20
Area Cement Shortage
Appears 10 Be Easing;
VIRGINIA Still in Need

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A cement shortage, which has
been holding up construction
projects in Virginia. appeared to-
day to be ng somewhat.
Although t.Jo OF the projects
of the Virginia State Highway
Department in the Washington
area still are stalemated, there
seemed to be prospects of COM
pletion soon of a link between
the George Washington Memorial
Parkway and Lee Highway In Ar
lington.
Department officials said today
they still are having difficulty in
getting cement for paving the
south end of the Shirley High
way. They also said lack of
cement is holding up construction
of a bridge in Fairfax County
over Difficult Run, near Great
Falls.
Concrete Mixers Needed.
While lack of cement has re-
tarded construction of link with
Unit 3 of the George Washington
Memorial Parkway at Spout Run
from the Lee Highway near Kirk
wood road, officials say they now
have the cement. But the work
is delayed pending arrangements
by the Virginia Concrete Co.,
Alexandria, to bring up ready
mixed concrete on the job, Off
cials said. The commission has the
cement but no way to mix it for
concrete, officials explained.
Officials of the Bureau OF Public
Roads and of the Maryland State
Roads Commission said the con-
crete shortage has not held up
their work in this area.
No Stoppage in District.
District Highway Department
officials said that while cement
deliveries have been slowed up,
there has been no real halt to
construction projects here.
Industry SpokeSmen believe the
cement shortage will be short lived.
The SpokeSmen blame the short
age on the tremendous volume OF
construction, strikes in a number
of cement plants at the height of
the summer building season, a
freight car shortage due to the
wheat and other harvests and the
movement of materials for the
armed forces westward for the
Korean war.
Distribution Hit.
Another factor is the "basing
point" system, outlawed by a 1948
Supreme Court decision, affecting
prices in the cement industry, Of
ficials explained. Under the Sys-
TEN, the manufacturer absorbed
certain freight charges, but the
new program has messed up dis
tribution," according to authori-
ties.
A spokesman fer the Associated
General Contractors of America,
Inc, with headquarters in the
Munsey Building, 1929 E street
NV, said a survey among it's
chapters over the country showed
that 81 per cent reported cement
shortages: 65 per cent steel Short
ages, and So per cent shortages
of lumber.
Cement Needed First.
Construction starts with the
building of a foundation, in which
cement is used. and that has
brought that product into the
public eye sharply, one industry
leader here said.
Artificial shortages of cement
have been created by more
freight charges, he pointed out.
But he made it. clear that there
is plenty of cement in sight, some
plants having doubled capacity
and in some cases trebled it
since the war. He recalled even
in World War II, there was never
q shortage of cement.
Henry Boswell, Washington rep
resentative of the Standard Lime
& Stone Co., Thirtieth and K
streets NV, one of the main ce-
ment suppiiers infthe Washing
ton area, said the shortage will
correct itself in a short time. The
shortage has been on for the past
two or three months, but he looks
for a letup in the next go days.
Commerce Department officials
said there is no shortage of raw
materials that 60 into the making
of cement. These are: lime, silica,
alumina, iron oxide and gypsum.
Some cement is being imported
from Belgium, but the depart
ment's figures show total imports
for the first six months of this
year at only 81 900 barrels. Some
is brought in from Mexico and
Canada, but United States ex-
ports for the first six months of
1850 totaled GOT 900 barrels, the
department declared.