HOW PUBLIC ARE PENALISED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1895, 1 November 1913, Page 6

HOW PUBLIC ARE PENALISED.

JUMP IN PRICES. CLASSES WHO PAY FOR BTRIKES. (By TeJeeraph.-Pr«ia Association.) Ghrisfohuroh, October 81. It is Btated that tho local coal merchants intend raising the prico of coal to-morrow. A rise of six shillings per ton is expected by coal merchants gen■erally, in view of tho comparative lowness of stocks. It'is estimated that there is on hand in Chrißtc-hurch at present only sufficient coal for all purposes to last a fortnight. Dealers have had to protect themselves by limiting tho quantity that they*will supply, and;orders for one ton have had to be cut clown to a quarter of a ton. Orders have been pouring in "hand over fist" during yesterday and to-day, and most of tho coal merchants have on their booka. orders that will keep them fairly busy delivering for several days. This is, of course, unusual, as at this time of the year the demand for coal is not very great outside of regular requirements for manufacturing purposes. Two hundred tons'of State coal were on the Kamo when sha left for Dunedih yesterday, arid 100 tons of thia was wanted for the Sunnysido Mental Hospital. Owing, however, to the refusal of the watersiders to unload coal, only one truck was Bent to the mental hospital, and the remainder will require to be made up, if possible,, from stocks available. _It is understood that retailers are limiting tho amount of sugar sold to parcels of 61bs. One of the - largest oarrying concerns in tho city (Messrs. J. M. Heywood and Co.) has round it necessary to give general notice to the drivers employea by the firm that their, services may be dispensed with. The award provides that a week's notice shall be given,.but tho notice issued is only in general terms, and is intended ts make the firm's- employees acquainted with the possibility of their servicos being,temporarily dispensed with. No men have been knocked off yet, but, ao there is comparatively little being done in carting cargo, the men will have to bo dismissed. Another business which is bound to bo affected by the strike is tho confec-, tionory manufacturing trade. Mr. R. E. M'Dougall, of Messrs. Aulesbrook and Co., informed a reporter that hands are being shortened in some departments, and that, to-morrow, the services of about twenty employeors, including men and girls, would be temporarily dispensed wijli. About threeparts of the firm's trado is with othet parts of the Dominion, and, unless goods can be shipped, there is no use producing them, aa they are of a perishable character. At present goods intended for Wellington aro banked up, and cannot be got away. In addition, the firm has only about two weeks' supply of sugar on hand, and oannot pos* Bibly continue manufacturing after'that supplyiß exhausted, unleßS fresh supplies are available.