COAL TROUBLES

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1920, Page 3

COAL TROUBLES

WELLINGTON, Jan. 27. Passengers on Wellington trams an becoming accustomed to occasional stoppages while steam pressure at the power-house is being raised to normal. To-day one of these stops lasted between twenty and thirty minutes. Steam pressure at the power-house was reduced and the plant was unable to provide sufficient power. The trouble lies in the nature of, the. foreign coal which the department must use in the absence of a full supply of the New Zealand article. Much of the coal is so big that it will not go into the furnace, consequently it has had to he broken down with a steam roller. Rain interfered with these operations and added considerably to the troubles by making the coal so wet that it was difficult to get it to burn at all. There was a second hold-up for the same reason in the afternoon. It transpires that but for the assistance of the Railway Department, which allowed supplies of highpriced coal to be diverted to the municipality, the Wellington tram service could hardly have continued fully during the holidays. An interesting sidelight on the coal shortage is afforded by the decision of tlie Merchant Service Guild recording an emphatic protest against the Mokoia being sent to Samoa. It was decided to call a special meeting to go into the question more fully. The secretary in the meantime is approaching other marine bodies so as to obtain their views. The committee expressed 'the opinion that the trip of the Mokoia ty Samoa with the parliamentary party is unnecessary and will consume a great ueal of coal that could be put to more profitable use in New Zealand.

OUTSIDE SUPPLIES. WELLINGTON, Jan. 30. Figures showing the quantity of coal available to New Zealand from outside sources in the near future were supplied by the Prime Minister to-day. At the present time, said Premier Massey, there are in New Zealand ports vessels discharging 9150 tons of coal, while afloat and en route to New Zealand there are vessels carrying 16,587 tons'. •Besides these, arrangements have been made to load in different ports for New Zealand, 40,000 tons of coal. These figures speak for themselves and indicate that the Government is doing everything possible to keep the railways and industries of the country going, and we hope that, we shall be successful, and that we shall have the support of the public until the present deadlock conies to an end.