COAL SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 271, 12 August 1919, Page 8

COAL SUPPLIES

POSITION AT PETCL\3i

Some discussion on the coal question took placo at last night's meeting of the I'etone Borouj . Council following upon receipt of a 1ti....- irom the Coal Trado Committee •: mat permits would be required for i...- dnlivpry of mora than lewt. lots ol cual in the Borough of I'etone Tho Minister of Munitions ulso requested that in view of tho seriousness of tho situation the council should conserve its supplies of coai as far as possible, and put the lighting regulations into force in the borough. "Wo aro getting more like (-iormany every day," remarked a councillor after tho letters had been read to the meeting. The Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) pointed out that tho council did not soil coal in groator quofitities than lewt. lots, therefore it was only necessary to forward tho dookets for such sales to tho Coal Trado Committee. 'Permits were required only in cases, where more than lewt. was ordered by any individual.

"If I had my way," said Councillor A. Anderson, "I would give everyone in town a hundredweight of qpa.l." "All, tliat is if wo had it," observed tho Mayor. "Givo them two hundredweight and never mind about the Coal Trade Committee and their red tape," said Councillor Anderson, "Wo send in these dockets, and they never tako any notice of them. There ,yo people in Petono who have no fires in their houses. Wa should tako w> notico of tho red tape and give everyone coal. If Mr. Myers asks where it is coming from tell him it is out of the 71,000 tons which he says is coming, but which wo have not seen." (Laughter.) Councillor E. Tovo.v stated that some people were hoarding e?;>l. There were cases where people were buying 2cwt. lots every week. If the Coal Trade Committee could see that everybody was getting lpwt. of coal, then a lot of trouble would bo averted.

The Mayor stated *that the council hid not sold 2cwt. lots for' some time. The council had Tia'd to ask the Lower Hutt Borough Council and the ehonkeopera to conserve their supplies of coal, and the position waa not so acute now aa it was a few dliya ago. The letters wore reoeived.