THE COAL SHORTAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 June 1919, Page 5

THE COAL SHORTAGE.

A TIMELY ARRIVAL: , By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, June 27. The Wellington gas crisis has been relieved by the arrival during the night of the Karamu with 900 tons of coal, of which the discharge began at 8 o'clock this morning. The supply is sufficient for a week. Other overdue colliers have also arrived. No response ( was made by the watereiders when a call was made this afternoon for labor to tranship coal from the Komata to the Earwon for the latter to take to Australia for Admiralty purposes. It is understood that the men object to coal going out of the country when there is such a serious shortage in New Zealand. Greymouth, June 27. The State mines have been idle since Friday last, but resumed work this morning. A stop-work meeting was held yesterday, and it is understood the meetin,,' declared black 5000 tons of coal consigned to Sydney. Christchurch, June 27-

Tn connection with the coal shortage, the Lyttelton waterside workers decided to forward a letter of protest to Sir James Allen, that the union should not he held responsible for the action taken by its members to supply their requirements.

It wa,s also decided that all work should cease from five o'clock on Saturdays, operating from to-morrow.

THE BARWON'S COAL. ALLOCATED TO WELLINGTON. Wellington, Last Night. The Hon. A. M. Myers, in a statement regarding the Barwon's coal, said this collier would never have brought coal to the Dominion if an equivalent quantity of West Coast coal could not have been guaranteed to the Admiralty in return. She brought over a full shipment of Australian coal, -which was allocated to essential industries In Dunedin. After discharge, the Barwon proceeded to the West Coast to load a return shipment, but on account of.her draught had to proceed to Wellington to load the remainder, some 1300 tons.

Messrs Roberts and Glover, of the Waiersiders' Union, called on the Minister and stated that the watersiderg refused to load the Barwon unless they supplied 00 tons of coal to meet their own domestic requirements. Mr. Myers placed the question before Cabinet, and it wan decided that the distribution must be on an equitable basis, without .preference to any section of the community. In conveying this decision to Messrs Glover arid Roberts, the Minister pointed out that New Zealand had already re* ceived a similar quantity of coal and was morally bound to carry out the compact entered into.

On the decision of Cabinet being conveyed to the -watersiderß they refused to complete the loading of the Barwon, and the shipping company decided to dispaich her without the balance of the coal. The Minister, therefore, gave instructions that 700 tons of the 1300 should be allocated for household requirements in Wellington. Other colliers had arrived from the West Coaßt, and a further 700 tons had been released. ACUTE POSITION IN WELLINGTON. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, June 20. Wellington's coal crisis is still aoute, though; the immediate prospect of a cessation of services has receded. The gap company, having borrowed coal from the Railway Department, has been able to keep going at a reduced pressure, though there have been times during the last forty-eight hours when the limit was almost reached. The trams stopped several .timeß this evening owing to temporary breaks in the severely overtaxed power-house. The use of elec-. trioity for night signs and shop displays after trading hours had been prohibited. Householders are being informed that they must i\ne only wood and coke in open fireplaces, and that if they are detected using coal for heating purposes, apart from cooking, their future supplies will bo curtailed. The threat has an empty sound to many people who have no coal at all. Colliers are reported to be arriving to-night and to-morrow, but evidently the coal shortage is going to be acute here for the flext two months, even if there arc no more stoppages at the mines and interruptions of transport.

MUNICIPAL ACTION. Christchurch, Last Night. The City Council's coal committee has arranged for 600 tons of the best house* hold coal to bo shipped from Greyraouth to Christchurch, reaching here at the end of next week. It is intended to arrange for similar shipments weekly. As to distribution of the municipal shipments, the Mayor states that the coal will be offered to retailers at a price which will allow them a fair profit, and if retailers decline to take the coal the municipal authorities will dispose of it direct to consumers.

Christchurch, Last Night,

ARRANGEMENTS IN NEW PLYMOUTH. In order to keep faith with an undertaking; given some time ago to Messrs 8. G.'Smith and W. T. Jennings, M'sP., by the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister in Charge of Coal Distribution, Messrs Collins and Gibson, of the Wellington Coal Trade Committee recently visited New Plymouth to investigate the condition of the trade here. As a result of this visit, the Minister lias arranged for Mr. Humphries, of Messrs Stocker and Humphries, to act us local honorary representative of the Wellington Coal Trade Committee, and following the advice tendered him by that body has arranged, in order to secure an equitable division of available supplies, that deliveries, as far as may be practicable in JTew Plymouth, Stratford, Hawera, Inglewood, Waitara, and Glthn.ni, should not exceed more than two bags of coal in any one delivery, with the exception of coal for industrial purposes, hospitals, schools, bakeries, etc. In cases of sickness special facilities will be given for obtaining immediate supnl!es, and the Minister desires it to be known that, should any difficulty bo experienced in obtaining supplies of coal for households where there is eic,kiieRS, any such cases so far as New Plymouth' is concerned, if reported to Mr. Humphries, will receive immediate attention. With regard to the other towns menitioaed, the MiaUtW, hone* to aottggg,

with the Mayors ,to undertake this special work in the interests of their particular town. The Minister desires to point out that the public should at the present time conserve the suppiy of household coal as far as possible by using wood and coko when available. The shortage of edal owing to the shipping strike in Australia and the Pukemiro mines being idle, and also owing to a diminished output from the West Coast Mines, is becoming acute, and it is only by strict economy that our industries can be kept going and dislocation and loss to wage-earners avoided. The Minister desires to take this opportunity of impresing upon those industries in the Taranaki district that can use wood as a substitute or as an adjunct to their coal supplies to immediately arrange for the use cf same hi order to conserve the available supply of coal as much as possible. Also, in cages where lignite coal is burnt by itself and firewood is not available, t& try if possible to use a proportion of Weßt Coast eoal or slack when obtainable in conjunction with lignite, so as to effect economy in consumption.