COAL MYSTERY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10289, 26 May 1919, Page 4

COAL MYSTERY

WHY ARE PEOPLE SHORT 1

ARE THE RAILWAYS RECEIVING AN UNDUE SHARE?.

Much has been said and written lately about the coal, position, out the supply remains inadequate for household needs. With winter practically here, and that usually wet and cold season, the spring, approaching, thousands of people have Become extremely anxious as to how in this land abounding in wood and coal they will fare for fuel. In Wellington it has been sufigetted that the people are short of coal, not so much because there is less hawed ooal in >the country, but ' because huge quantities are being taken tot; the railways. Those who hold that idea, or even entertain it, complain that far too little is allocated to th« homes of the people, in which it is needed for heating and for oooi£ing f for drying and airing clothing, tor dispelling the damp that collects in, many houses where firtes are rarities, for the sick, for the young and tha old, and for general comfort. The subject was mentioned to m leading coal merchant on Saturday. As to the allegation that most of the coal was being commandeered for the railways, he said he did not really know whether the allegation wa» ktkj or>otherwise. "We only know, that w« are allocated certain, and we cannot say for certain what percentage of the whole we get or wliero the remainder goes.*' I THREE INFERIOR SiUPMENXB IMPORTED. '.'

The merchant was asked if a winplaint to the eifect that the railways were "getting the lot" was general. f'Yes/' he said, "it la pretty general."

"They have released a good deat or coal lately/' he continued -.'' 'and' for «'- few- weeks the position has not been' so bad as it was a while ago, hut it is still pretty serious. We have not enough coal to complete orders with, and we are particularly short of good coal.

"A lot of inferior coal has Been put on the market, and •very little hrstclass coal. There have been at least three Jots of inferior coal put on the Wellington yards ; in ;the weeks:— " ' ' ' "' "''"' ''

"1(1) There was a shipment of Limington coal, which is a secondgrade article from Liverpool. ' '(2) The inferior-quality stuff brought from Australia by the Waihora. This was what u> known as Bore-hole coal, and is' ast toe oest Newcastle.

"(3) Then there, wajs the Xankce coal, which cam^'here^^'lShfe^Barangiy^ and it was very'inferior etiiffi" ' ""'• *•- It is understood that the Australian coal brought over in the Waihora was sold as first-class coal. The mercliant says the coal was not first-class. It may be remembered, too," that, the Government authorities said : that the Raranga's shipment, "which the coal workers on the waterfront called "Yankee slack,"', was all right for household- XhiJr 'Merchant' jclasses it as veryfinfefSor;■"•''' ».yt.*. ods "Of these inferior lots the dealers had to take a proportion, and the prices were higher than we had paid? ror good coal. The price for the I American ' coal was particularly high, I although wo understand that it came lout at a cheap rate. However,' we I were not compelled to take the American coal. it was offered to us, and. wo wore told that'if >wga were shorfc'of coal we could jt.= •="Wte were, of course, so short that we'each took a little". [CHARGE REGARDING THE. AY AYS DENIED. , "At the present tinio wo have less cause for complaint than we had a -while- ago. l'or three weeks or a month the position has been easier but that does not mean -that it will remain so for,, long.. .-.JVje- havo to. fill back orders, and our supply wi'li not be increased,by the. strikes in Aus-*. tralia. ,-..,.- "A little while ago the situation was exceptionally bad, and the fact- that it is easier now is not due so much to more coal coming, into the country, but can be explained by saying that then the railways were commandeering the whole of the coal which came'-in 1 ; and now a portion-of this is being allocated to the dealers." ' Later, the suggestion that the railways had been taking nearly all the coal .that came in was referred to a high authority on coal control matters. He said that the suggestion was nbi correct by any means. Xhe railways requirements were such they' had to receive a large share of the coal, but they were not overstocked,#and if anything serious happened the prospects were that the services would have to bo curtailed. ,