Manufacturers Demand Planned Distribution

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 55, 8 March 1944, Page 4

Manufacturers Demand Planned Distribution

(Special) WELLINGTON, March 7. Following the receipt of urgent requests from an increasing number of groups of manufacturers and individual members, the Council of the N.Z. Manufacturers' Federation has given further consideration to the alarming position which has developed insofar as supplies of coal, coke and gas are concerned. * * Despite the seriousness of this posi tion,” said Mr. lan Matheson (president of the Federation) “Parliament apparently feels that it is more important to discuss the Invercargill Licensing Committee Bill and to continue the Address-in-Reply deabte with extended time to each member than it is to give urgent attention to ways and means of increasing coal output, conserving stocks of coal, and preparing an organised scheme of distribution for the fast-approaching time when there will not be sufficient coal or gas available to meet industrial and domestic demands. “Such a scheme, the Federation feels, should be drawn up now and should be based on minimum essential domestic requirements and should establish priority claims for essential industry and a rationed basis for less essential but very necessary production which is dependent on coal, gas or coke. “The Government knows how serious the position is and must realise the dependency of New Zealand industry and our community life as a whole on coal and coke products. Investigation shows that upwards of 30,000 workers would immediately be thrown out of employment should there be a sudden complete failure in coal and gas supply for industry. “While such a situation is perhaps not likely to arise, information available shows that hundreds of factories in all parts of New Zealand which normally huiid up reserve stocks of coal during the summer months are this year already living from day to day with empty reserve bins and the winter two months away. Factory production cannot be organised on this basis nor can continuous employment of staffs be retained. The problem is not one, | therefore, which can be met by day-to--1 day piecemeal adjustment or by haphazard stoppages of production where ; supplies of coal, coke or gas are tempor--1 arily exhausted. * “An added very significant factor is that many of the coal and gas burning ! industries are continuous process Indus- : tries or industries processing perishable raw materials. Obviously such indus- ■ tries .cannot suspend production and ' allow furnaces or other plant to cool • off without enormous waste as well as 1 loss of output.

“The Federation has asked the Government to make available full intormation regarding monthly output and usage of the different classes of coal since January 1, 1943 (including importations) and to continue to supply this information monthly. It has also suggested that a plan should be drawn up now to meet the position of shortages of supply in a soundly organised manner and if the Government so desires the Federation iB willing to assist in drawing up such a plan.”