GASWORKS IDLE IN SYDNEY

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5283, 20 December 1946, Page 5

GASWORKS IDLE IN SYDNEY

(Press Assn.-

A'L'L PLANTS CLOSING

INDUSTRY AFFECTED AND SHORTAGES FORECAST

-Rec. 9.80 p.m.)

SYDNEY, Dec. 19. T'wo-thirds of Sydney will liave no gas from 7 p.m. to-day, according to union officials who ordered the closing of the Mortlake gasworks from 10 o'clock last night, All Sydney gas supplies will cease when the North Shore and Manly plants cease production, probably by tomorrow morning. On instruetions from union authorities in M-elbourne the strikers who resumed work at Mortlake on Tuesday morning intimated to the company last night that they intended to discontinue producing gas. • The

closing down of the production plant was supervised' by the works management for safety reasons. The company estimates that the remaining supply of gas will last until this evening. Union representatives have "promised to provide sufficient men to keep the plant in order. Support of Seamen The Australian Gas Light Company, which owns the Mortlake Works, is the sixth largest undertaking of its kind in the Empire. Its territory covers 250 square miles and it has about 2000 miles of mains. The men claim that once a settlement is reached they can supply gas within 24 hours. The Federal exeeutive of the Australian Seamen's Union has informed the Collier Owners' Association that members of the XTnion would not convey any materials or produets to c-r from gasworks until the dispute is settled. Bakers are forecasting a bread shortage at the week-end, but so far there has been no loss of output.

Paint production has ceased and g-lass manufacturers are closing down. There has been & 'heavy sale of electrical cooking gear such as immersion heatcrs, jugs and grillers, but the Bunnerong powerhouse repcrts having enough coal on hand to maintain electricity supplies against •tho increased demand until the miners resume after their Christmas holidays. , - Adelaide appears to have no hope of regaining gas production for Christmas as 500 strikers are still picketing the gasworks. *