COAL FOR THE CITY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 183, 29 April 1920, Page 4

COAL FOR THE CITY

SUGGESTION FROM THE WATERSIDEHS. The work of discharging coal at the Railway Wharf has been hampered of late, owing to the shortage of trucks, and now that the railway strike is 111 progress the trouble has been- accentuIn' view of the impossibility of having coal conveyed to the country districts by rail, the waterside workers yesterday intimated to the owners of colliers that they were prepared to discharge conl from vessels which had been lying idle owing to the truck difficulty, provided the coal was used for supplying the needs of the citizen? of AVellington. From inquiries made by a Dominion - reporter it appeared, thofc the tinio the icquesfc was made some hundreds of tons were being unloaded from the steamer Kamona for local consumption. Oil being approached, Mr. P. J. Gnnn, officer in charge of the Coal Control Department, stated that 110 representations had been made to him 011 'the subject. Mr. Gunn mentioned that about 300 tons of tho Knmona's shipment was being discharged for domestic use, and the balance would have to be allocated for power and lighting purposes and essential industries. The TCokiri was expected to arrive from Greymouth to-morrow, and some 500 tons of her cargo would probably be allocated for household requirement*. Tho domestic needs of the city would receive every possible consideration consistent with' the demands of essential in. dustries, particularly thoso comioctcdwitli uorjshable foodstuffs find tho Buppiy of power and light. , The requirements of shipping necessitated the transfer into hulks of a portion of each shipment of coal an-iving in AVellington, and, in. addition to this, provision had also to be made for transhipping conl_ to other ports in order that inland industries which were cut off bv tho stoppage of railway transport might be enabled to receive supplies.