GAS SUPPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1920, Page 4

GAS SUPPLY.

THE- QUESTION OF QUALITY. STATEMENT BY THE COMPANY. The complaints made some time ago by the New Plymouth Borough Council in regard to the quality of the gas supply, were referred to in a reply received by the Council at last night's meeting from the (las Company. Tile communication stated that the Council's resolution had been carefully considered by the directorate, and they frankly admitted that for many months past their output had been unsatisfactory, both as to quality, volume, and regularity. "This state of affairs." the letter continued, "is (as is well-known to the public generally) wholly attributable to the fitful manner in which coal supplies are doled out, through the Coal Control, and the exceedingly variable quality of such supplies, much of which is, in the opinion of the manager, utterly unsuitable for gas-makmg purposes. It lias been, and still is, a very anxious time for the directors and management of the Company, who, as individuals, all participate in the same inconveniences complained of by the public, but by reason of being in closer touch with the making of the gas are more keenly alive to the difficulties that have to be faced.

"The hoard has in every possible manner endeavoured to keep up supplies, and lias on several occasions incurred great expense in purchasing and tran=porting'paroels of coal in order to avert absolute stoppage. The same condition.-, prevail more or less throughout the Dominion, and in a number of centres \ery much greater inconvenience has been caused than has yet been experienced here. ''The director: and their staff are making every eli'ort to mnint.rn a service which shall meet the demands of their customers, but this is no easy matter under existing conditions. The remedy is the resumption of coal mining on the lines of two or three years ago."