WINTER FUEL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 117, 20 May 1942, Page 6

WINTER FUEL

AUCKLAND POSITION

MILD AUTUMN HELPS SUPPLY

Mild autumn conditions have greatly assisted the fuel position in Auckland city and suburbs, where many homes have not yet begun regular open fires. May temperatures instead of heralding the approach of winter have been more reminiscent of the latter part of March or of April, and economy in coal and firewood, as compared with an average May, must have amounted to hundreds of tons.

"This autumn has been a great help," said a leading coal and firewood merchant in the city to-day. "The drop in temperatures we expect after Easter has been delayed by well over a month, and the majority of people have not started to draw upon their stocks of fuel laid in for the winter. Of course we may have to be prepared for a heavier demand than usual in the spring, but that can be left for a few months, at any rate."

The supply position for both coal and firewood was stated to be difficult. In the case of coal, orders for retail delivery could not be fulfilled, in many instances, within a fortnight or three weeks, and often the amount delivered was much below that ordered. So far, however, Auckland had not followed the lead of Wellington in demanding payment in advance, to expedite deliveries because of the labour shortage.

In firewood the chief problem—and an increasing one—was to secure labour for cutting and transporting the wood to the railway or to beaches to be brought to Auckland. Cutting was going on throughout the year, but for about five months in the winter and early spring the wood could not be transported from the back country or hauled to beach landing points.

"Many people are well stocked up with coal and firewood, as they have acted on our advice to buy during the summer," said another merchant. "That is assisting the position now and should continue to afford relief in the winter. We sold more coal and firewood last summer than ever before. Therefore orders are only normal to-day."