SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 March 1919, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS.

COAL MINES HANDICAPPED.

SUPPLIES TO CONSUMERS,

STOCK DANGEROUSLY LOW.

The shortage of railway trucks, it is -understood, continues, with the result that some of the Waikato coal-

mining cicmpanies are experiencing difficulty in disposing of their output. It is stated that since November last the output from these mines has been much below normal, and this is said to be due to the large number of minors who have left to undertake other work, finding that they cannot get steady ■work at the mines, owing to the delay caused by the truck shortage. Some of the mines have minions of tons of coal in sight, so that it is evident that there should be no shortage of coal for industries and public utilities, but this is said to be actually happening, freezing works, factories and (other users of coal in large quantities being reduced to dangerously low reserves.

This matter was referred to a railway official during the week-end, and ho said that, so far as he knew, the supply of trucks during the past few ■weeks had been fairly good. He mentioned that the coal companies could get over any temporary difficulty of the kind by providing storage bins, into which the coal could be dumped and later removed when a full supply icf trucks could be brought forward. He stated that two large colliers had arrived with coal for the Railway Department, and the handling of this had, perhaps, temporarily diverted a number of trucks -which would otherwise have gone to the mines earlier.