COAL AND STEEL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 221, 6 June 1918, Page 4

COAL AND STEEL

HOW THE COST OF CAB MILEAGE RISES. Some of the boroiiglis complain about the. increased cost of electricity per car mile, and express indignation at the 'treatment being accorded them at tho hands of the city authorities. The engineers Af the Wellington municipality, however, point out that tho cost of everything concerned in the output of electricity and the running of care has increased, not slightly but tremendously. In the case of coal—the chief item—the Wellington municipality used to bo able to purchase mountains of excellent slack at 17s. Gd. a ton delivered. Now it pays .T2s. 6d. a ton, and cannot get slack any thing like as good in quality as it was able to purchase -it the lower price, which means an appreciable loss in working efficiency. Car wheels are in short supply. Before the war our tranlways department purchased its car wheels (tyres) in England, and was able to get a really good article for £2 per tyro. Since then the price, has advanced sensationally, and England has ceased to supply at all (though there are some on order there). So American supplies have had to be drawn upon, and such is the state of American iron and steel worke at present that the quote from one firm for tyros was XS each, and another firm went ss. higher, which simply means that they are not' looking for 6uch business— and tho American tyre is said to bo inferior to the British article. |