LEVIN WILL NOT FREEZE

Chronicle (Levin), 12 March 1947, Page 4

LEVIN WILL NOT FREEZE

Winter Firing Adequate But Not Pientiful Though perhaps not as desperate as last year, the coal position throughout the Dominion will still be serious this winter, and obtaining regular supplies will again provide a headache for householders. With threats of power cuts, low gas pressure, and a shoriage of, many woollen goods, the prospects for the coming winter are far from bright. A local coal merchant said today that he was confident that he could supply coal in 'reasonable quantities, but it would be second grade. There was not much good coal about, he said, as the Government took the largest proportion of a week's mining for the Railways Department, and there was consequently not much left for wholesalers to allocate to merchants. People would -just have to" take what coal was offering. There would be a fair amount of Westport slack and providing the gasworks maintained its usual output, adequate supplies of coke. "Very few people know how to use slack and coke to the best advantage," he said. "A little wood, a heap of coke slanting backwards to the, chimney in an open grate, and a final layer of damp slack will make a fire that will last for hours." ' 9 *

A second merchant said he was more f ortunat'e than others in having his own source of supply, but he admitted that the coal situation generally would be very severe this winter. The average merchant, he said, was being allocated abo'ut two trucks a month. Enquiries into the wood position, brought a • brighter response. "There shbuld be no difficulty in supplying wood, but' there is little variety," said one merchant. "Pinus insignus slabs obtained from the mills are pientiful, but owing to a shortage of labour, very little • hard wood is being cut." People, he said, would be advised to purchase their wood by the cord rather than by individual bags, in order to ensure adequate supplies. "Levin is far better off than other places in regard to wood and coal, and though people here may not get' as much or as good quality as they would like, at least they will. not freeze."