WELLINGTON NOTES,

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1918, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES,

THE COAL FAMINE

STATEMENT BA' THE MINISTER

(Our Special Correspondent) WELLINGTON? July 29,

Yesterday Wellington was congratulating itself upon having reached the end of the cold boisterous .sou’-west weather that had been sweeping across Cook Strait for nearly two months with scarcely an hour’s intermission. Lhe wind dropped, the rain ceased, the sun shone and quite a number of people ventured out to the long abandoned sea-side resorts. But this morning the city was plunged back into the midwinter again and at noon the outlook is as unpropitious as ever. The troubles of tile citizens under the extremely disagreeable conditions that have prevailed, and tire still prevailing, have been greatly aggravated by the acute shortage of coal. None of the dealers are supplying more than a sack 01 two at the time except to their most favoured customers, and there are scores of homes in which the meagre stocks of dust and rubbish©i>assing as coal, are being eked out with coke and cinders and chips of wood.

THE SUPPLY

In some quarters the Minister of Munitions and Supplies, who has been entrusted with the- distribution of tlm available supplies of fuel, has been blamed for the existence of this extremely disagreeable state of affairs. It even has been stated that many of the yards are full of coal and that if an equitable distribution were made no household need lie without the absolutely necessary supply. Tint as n matter of fact it is only through the close snoervision and impartial administration of Ihe Minister and his staff that a much worse catastrophe has been averted. The coal yards practically are ns hare as are the family scuttles. The rough weather has delayed the supplies by son and Hie (reserve- stock's of indispensable works —electric light and power, gas, freezing fihiooing and railways—have been greatly depleted. The Hon A. M. Myers, made it statement on Saturday showing in nlain figures the actual position.

and though the Minister takes an optimistic view of the future it is m-id/mt he must insist, upon the strictest- «*conomv till further supplies are in sightMUNICIPAL MILK.

The City Council’s .milk scheme continues to be damned by faint praise. Those of the critics not absolutely opposed to interference with private enterprise admit t-ht- the scheme has good points and that reform of some kind is very necessary, but they contend that the Council’s proposals, though ambitious enough in their way, are not going to remove the existing evils. “The three great- faults of the city milk supply,’’ the “New Zealand Times” says in the course of an editorial this morning, “are .that it is dear milk, stale milk and dipped milk.” None of these faults, it sec-ms, is to be removed by the Council’s scheme. The milk still will he dear, will come from far afield and will be delivered in the old inefficient wav. It- is the Council’s very natural and proper desire to cause the present suppliers ns little loss as possible that- is hampering the way of reform and at the moment it looks likely to become the rock on which the. whole scheme will split. PARLIAMENT.

Though the Ministers are very reticient on the subject and private members’ views in these times count for nothing, there is a very general feeling here that the agitation of the Prohibitionists for a licensing poll at the end of the currem year will not succeed. The best the. promoters of the agitation can hop, for is that the Government will mu. a.sk for a further prolongation of the life of Parliament and that the licensing poll will he taken in the usual course with the general election at the end of next year. It is being argued that if the Imperial Government seen no objection to consulting the electors while the war is on there, can be no grave impropriety in the New Zealand Government seeking a verdict from the constituencies a year hence. The result, assuming the conditions remain unchanged, probably would be similar to the one foreshadowed at Home a working agreement between the official •Reformers and the official Liberals, but it at least would give the National Government the justification of a mandate from the people.