COAL DISTRIBUTION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 226, 18 June 1919, Page 7

COAL DISTRIBUTION

A RATIONING SCHEME

PERMITS TO BE REQUIRED

New coal regulations are now in force In Wellington. The 1 effect of,the new scheme is to introduce something in th& nature of rationing. ;The procedure for the consumer is exactly as formerly. He or she, goes to the office of a dealer, lodges an order for coal, and usually lodges, also sufficient cash to pay for th<i coal, and then waits a fortnight or more for the coal to come. In the past it has been custom of people, who have been in a sufficiently strong financial position to lend a few pounds to coal dealers free of interest, to lodge orders witli more than one dealer for as much coal as he would supply in one lot. It has bcei. claimed that, the restrictions have been

more or less ineffective, ueoause peopio prepared to do this have always lia< Coal, whereas others not-so fortunate have always been'in.-difficulties. Under the new scheme the dealer, before he supplies an order, has to secure a, permit from tho Coal Committee. He will''forward his orders daily to this committee for approval. If it" should bo found on examination that a person of the same.name and address has sent in orders to several dealers, some of those orders will not bu . allowed, and will be with ■ .held. A permit is required before : any order for more'-than one hundredweight can be supplied, ; . This, rationing scheme- is probably tho result of complaints from one section ot ,/ the community. In actual fact, as most oitizehs will testify, the! possession of enough cash to pay for unlimited supplies of coal has never ensured to anybody a steady supply of good coal. Nearly ali the coal is bad, and it is extremely difficult, to get any of it.' The only weakness in* the present scheme is .tho danger of delays in' the office of thu Coal Committee. If there are to be delays about ' the issue of permits, it may be that the second state of the coal user will V worse tl\an the first. At present the dealers are getting back their permits promptly from the'eomniittee. and in any case deiays would be of ' little consequence, seeing that orders are much ahead of supplies -always.