THE COAL SUPPLY AND THE CITY COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3092, 24 May 1917, Page 6

THE COAL SUPPLY AND THE CITY COUNCIL

Sir.-yThe City Council sat last Thuis-; day night. On Friday there Appeared; in the papers the following head-lines: "Coal Shortage"—"A Position of Gravity"—"Day Pictures Banned"—"Pares tobe Eaised." In your paper on Saturday I said it was a "hoai." Your evening contemporary, on the "best author-' ity," stated it was not a hoax, and ina "leader" pointed to the necessity of? applying "the pruning-knife." On Mon~ day I gave your readers a fair ex parte* statement of facts, as far as I was able. On Monday afternoon the council mot: at i p.m., and went into committee, and. a Teport of the proceedings by theMayor states: "That, in view of the Ministerial statement regarding imported coal supplies, the position was different from that obtaining when the engineer's report was first presented." So that what I stated to be a "hoax" is a hoax, and your evening contemporary has the decency to somewhat relax, its pruning-knifo policy. To me, the outstanding facts are: — 1. That the council had no mandate from, the Government nor the Efficient Board to save coal.

. 2. That the Mayor, or his responsible! officers, would have found out the true* position regarding coal supplies if they; had wanted to, either from (a) the Munitions Board, or (b) its suppliers, before; it issued the extraordinary report. ■-. •■' 3. That the Mayor should have laid it before the council in committee, and not in public, because the publication caused a coal shortage through users asking suppliers for Increased stocks.

•4. That if «it had not been for the strenuous efforts of Councillor MTJeniie and two or three other councillors, the report would have been adopted,- and the city mulcted in serious loss. 5. That if the remarks of Councillor , Shorland are correct regarding the tram-' way power-house and the electric flight station, a serious situation will have to bo faced by citizens. : ~ Your readers may absolutely rest assured that, there is no coal shortage, and. that I believe the council to-day have inspected a considerable quantity of coal lying in the hacbour, and that nas been, there for about a month. It is another question as to whether it -will be suitable for the council, but it Bhows, at anyrate, that coal was here and available. Citizens, must remember that the tramj way service and the electric light service are important municipal undertakings. I believe that two-thirds of the city's Tevenue is derived from these sources, so that any curtailment in either service, affects not only citizens in a general way, but through their pockets. Any loss of revenue would have to be made up out of rates. This is a point that councillors will do well to remember. The city has undertaken to provide light and traction for its citizens, and the citizens are entitled to get the best the city can provide, and any action to curtail the citizens' privileges—when; there is no need of it—should be met! with a heavy hand. Every gitizen should serve his city, and it has been with that object-and that object only—that I have written my letters.—l am, etc., • ' ' CALOKIFIC VAtDE. May 22,