CITY COAL STOCKS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 30, 30 October 1919, Page 6

CITY COAL STOCKS

HOLDINGS 01 , OTHER NECESSARIES. Inquiries were made yesterday with respect to tho available supplies in Wellington of the more important necessaries of life in view of eventualities that may arise out of tho general cessation of work upon the waterfront. Following upon tho recent acute ehortago there are no great yard stocks of coal in Wellington at the present timi\ All dealers have been living from hand to mouth during tho past month, and the accumulation of stock has so far not been possible. Fortunately the weathor is warmer now, and domestic demands arc not as urgent ivs they wcro six weeks ago, 6till there is a steady demand for all the coal that is available. The City Council lias a fair stock of Newcastle coal for ili tramway and electric light departments, and is not likely to bo hard pressed for a few weeks. The Wellington Gas Company also lias enough coal to keep the city supplied with gas for a limited time. There is also a large quantity of Newcastle coal on tho Kaitaugata and Kaiapoi, now in port, which may be made available in an emergency should the impasso continue over any length of time. Wellington is pietty well dependent on sea-going tonnage for its flour and potatoes. Ono local merchant stated yesterday that he had a week's supply in hand'. Fortunately the. 20th of tho month had just passed, and the bakers were fairly well stocked for about three weeks or a month to come. They would not be ordering further supplies until about November 10. Tho trouble, however, was not limited to Wellington. Bakers between hero and Dannevirka on the one lino and to Palinerston JNorth as a rule relied on getting their supplies from or through Wellington, and it wa* not possible to say how they wcro situated. As the result of tho trouble on tho waterside he had already received orders that would , not have- como so quickly in tho ordinary wav.

What would 1)0 felt almost at once was a shortage of potatoes. The market was practically bare at present, and .if the supplies of old potatoes from t.lio south were stopped for a few days only tlio public would bo up in arms. Small supplies of new potatoes had arrived from Auckland, but so far the quantity coming from Otaki, Nelson, and' tho Eutt w.is not largo enough to count. A fow days will seo the supply of cement in Wellington exhausted. The tramways department, which is using a good deal of cement at present in connection with the re-laying of the tram track on Lambton Quay, has only a few baps in hand. There were 150 tons on tho Nikun for the department, but that steamer has returned to Nelson without discharging her cargo. The concrete part of tho work was likely to bo held up if work on tho waterside ceased for a few day*. Supplies of timber from the West Const will also be cut ofl', and builders may feel the effect of the stoppage of work if it is long continued. POSITION OP THE RAILWAYS EFFECT ON THE TIME-TABLE.

In iiddil.ion to supplies from local sources, Hie Kailivny Department lias to depend <m importations 'of coal from i\eweiislli> to keep the service going, and in tho event of the present tronblo developing the Department will bo forced to consider its position.

Mr. R. W. Jl'Villy, General Manager of TJailwajo, stated yesterday that >tho Department \\.u\ just opened out on its time-table after the recent restrictions, and if the trouble regarding the Newcastle co:il continued it would ba bound to influence eerionsly tho improvements which were contemplated in regard to tho time-tablo. Possibly, the Uepwtmoiit might bD compelled to curtail tho train services again.

Mr. M'Villy declined to make any statement regard ing the position of the Departments present slbeke of coal. HARBOUR BOARD'S POSITION. Tho stoppage of all work connected with the steamers at the Wellington wharves automatically prevents any of such work l>oimr done by tho permanent staff of tho Harbour Board and any casual labour that may be employed. To understand the position it should l>o made elear that the whole of tho work connected with tho unloading of cargo on tho steamers is done by "stevedores' men," vlio aw mwnbi-rs of the Wellington AVatersido Workers' Union to a man. Tho Harbour Board's men Tcceivo tho cargo on the wharf, run it into tlto sheds, and in duo course deliver it to consigners. Whilst there is no cargo coining out or going into ships there is little or nothing_ for tho board's etaff to <lo fiivo to clear up tlir> sheds and deliver what cargo is stored therein as it is applied for.- _ Such will bo reduced to » minimum in a few days should the existing impasse continue. The board's permanent staff will bo paid during tho period of the stoppage of work on the wharves.