COAL SHORTAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1919, Page 5

COAL SHORTAGE.

OHRISTCHURCH SUPPLIES, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. Investigations into the coal supply made to-day go to show that merchants and others do not share Sir James Allen's fears of a serious .shortage. Though the .yards are fairly bare, it is anticipated that sufficient supplies will come to band to enable the industries to keep' going and household requirements to be < met. The manager of the gas company; says that, while they are living froro ! Ivjrul to npouth, as elsewhere, he is con- ; fident they will pull through, even if; it is by the skin of their teeth. The j freezing works ha'vu sufficient reserve | in stock to carry them along for from | four to six weeks, and vfcher primary { hidustries are in the fame position j Even if supplies were entirely cut off, they are all -connected with Lake Coleridge, which makes them independent j of steam power. With regard to the railways, there is stated to be sufficient reserve to maintain normal services for two months. ACUTE IN DUNEDIN. Dunedin, Last Night. The coal shortage in. Dunedin is acute, and coal merchants have decided to limit orders for household purposes to lots of four bags. The coal trade committee urges the greatest economy in consumption, otherwise the public will probably experience serious inconvenience during the cold weather. The city gasworks, which had only two days' supply of coal, has obtained temporary relief as a result of repiosenation to the Munitions and Supplies Department, which has arranged for a supply up to 200 tons of Newcastle coal from the Railway Department to keep the works going until the arrival of the Kini at the end of the week. This quantity will keep the works going for about a week. INCREASED PRICES. Received May 5, 10.5 p.m. Sydney, May 5. From to-day the price of northern districts coal has been increased by 2s 9d per ton, southern districts by 2s Od, western by 2s 3d, while miners,' other than contract workers,' wages are increased by 15 per cent., and the adult wage for offhand employees has been raised to 2a 7d per day. Melbourne, May 5. It is officially explained that the existing coal contracts have not been cancelled under the now regulations. They have merely been suspended in order not to hamper the Government's administrative work.