COAL SHORTAGE
« A SERIOUS OUTLOOK STRIKES MEAN A SHORTAGE OF 6000 TONS WEEKLY ECONOMY ESSENTIAL The coal shortage that is being experienced in a more or less degree all over the Dominion is more serious than most people are inclined to believe. To state the position broadly, the supply of coal from all the mines in New Zealand, worn they working full time, does not at present meet the demand. We aro dependent at all times in part on the importation of coal from Newcastle, and this supply for some time past has been decreased nyring to the shortage of shipping facilities. Tho shortage by lessened importations is, of course, accentuated by any falling off in locally-produo-d supplies, and these supplies, as is pretty well known, have been very seriously reduced by the strikes which have occurred at the Millerton (Wostport Coal Company), State, ami Paparoa mines during the past month. The miners at Millerton resumed some time ago, but the men at Paparoa and the State collieries have now been out for about a month, and consequently supplies from those sources have censed. In the case of the Paparoa mine the output only amounts to ]000 tons a week-, but in the case of the State collieries the. output is, roughly, 5000 tons weekly, so that, on top or an unpresentable shortage caused by the restricted supplies arriving from Newcastle, there is this local shortage--'of 6000 tons weekly—an amount which would feed a great many steamers' bunkers and railway tenders. Winter is coming on with a scarcity of coal in prospect for household purposes. Fortunately the weather so far has been extremely mild'as to temperaI ture. but any time after Easter the I weather may be expected _ to turn colder, and that' means an increase m the demand for domestic mirpnses of ! from 25 to 30 ppr cent. The prospect is not at all pleasant, and from the present outlook it is very evident that tli? general public as well as the industrial" classes will be forced to practise ■ something like the rigid economy which has been forced on the miblic in TCns- ! land and America. That, in effect, I means that everyone will be asked to use less coal and'light (for light means coal), In use more substitutes (such as lan • admixture of coal and coke, briquettes, etc.). There ;<re those who believp that we in New Zealand would be able to live' normallv for an inI definite time as far as coal consumption is concerned if only the minors would refrain from striking, but ■it is explained above that the strikes, which are troublesome enough m all conscience, are only partly the cause of the neneral shortage, and that general shortage is likely to last for the period of t-heVar. „ The. Government have practically issued an ultimatum to the men on strike at Paparoa and tho. State collieries if they do not decide to resume work by Monday next. The pretexts put forward for strikir>2 have been nbsurdly unreasonable, and it.is scarcely likely that the miners will continue the hold-up, particularly in-the face of the cravity of the news from the chief theatre of war. It is confidently hoped that the strikes at both the collieries mentioned will be declared oft at the week-end. Private information received from the West Coast is to the effect that the meeting of coalminers on strike intended to have been held at Runanota on Wednesday evening was so sparsely attended that no business was done. It is now proposed to hold another to-morrow to consider tli auestion of resuming work.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 168, 5 April 1918, Page 6
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599COAL SHORTAGE Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 168, 5 April 1918, Page 6
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