THE GAS HOLD-UP

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3134, 12 July 1917, Page 6

THE GAS HOLD-UP

STILL NO CHANGE

BACK TO KEROSENE LAMPS

"No change" was the report as to the situation in regard to the gas workers' trouble at Miramar yesterday. The one cheering thing is that tho men who are engaged in the work are getting more "fit" daily, and usage to tho work is having its effect in tho output of gas at the works. Yesterday tho gas was admitted to tho mains at 7.110 a.m., instead of half-an-hour later, which was helpful to those whose, duty it is to prepare breakfasts for those who have to reach their work at a.m. The gas

'.■:is cut off again at 6 o'clock last evening, and will be turned on again at 7.30 this morning. fhero was no call for coal workers for Hie Kittawa yesterday morning. In any case there was a shortage of labour at the wharves, owing to the amount of work offering in town, and to the races, which drew some of the casual workers of sporting proclivities to Trentham.

BOOM IN KEROSENE LAMPS. Perhaps of the many who have been inconvenienced by the cutting off of tho gas during the hours of darkness, those who depended wholly on the Gas Company have been hit the hardest. In ono Chinese fruiterer's shop tho premises for the last three evenings have been dimly illuminated by candles. "John," who is seldom extravagant, did not see the necessity of- going outside his own wares to provide holders for tho candles. Vrith some ingenuity and the aid of a knife he flattened one side of several swede turnips to ensure a solid understanding, and drove three or four nails in a circle in the opposite side for the reception of the .candles. The hardware firms of the city have been kept fairly busy filling the demand for kerosene lamps. One of the leading retail firms happened to have a fairly good stock of lamps, which had been on hand for some years owing to the slackness in the demand, but the gas trouble has made the line quite an active one, and even those on whom the tarnish of time was only too apparent have been furbished up and sold at cheap prices to people only too anxious to Set anything to lighten the gloom of their gasless homes: Kerosene and spirit stoves are also in demand, and oil-heaters are moving on the market. As a natural sequence the grocers of Ihe city have experienced a perceptible increase in the demand for kerosene, of which there happens to be a good stock available.

A CONFERENCE. The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. Hugger) conferred with the men who are "out" at his offico in Ghuznee Street last evening. There was a frank and general discussion about the whole business from first to last, after which the men asked for an adjournment until 11 a.m. to-day, in order that all the r..en affected may attend. It is hoped that a settlement will come out of the conference.