THE COAT SHORTAGE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 280, 3 November 1944, Page 5

THE COAT SHORTAGE

Sir,-Since the shortage of bituininous coal, complaints about the substitute of lignite for household use have been loud, long and frequent. Mainly they are unjustified and the result of lack of understanding of the proper use of this fuel. I was brought up in Central Otago, where lignite is almost the only fuel normally obtainable, and a poor lignite at that. Here are some directions. Take plenty of kindling wood and paper. Set the fire very carefully with four crossed layers of kindling. Light the fire and wait till the wood is well alight. Carefully place lumps of lignite on top. Place a few pieces of kindling on top of that. Then more lumps of lignite. Watch the fire‘ carefully, and nurse it for 20 minutes. Use a "blower." In Otago it’s a sheet of iron curved, with a wooden handle. In the North Island it’s a sheet of newspaper. A scrap or two of fat at this stage will sometimes suffice to turn the whole encounter, Now it’s alight at last. Keep feeding it till the grate is full. No slack coal until now. Relax, and don’t touch it, or let even a friend of seven years’ standing touch it. It’s right for the rest of the evening-a steady, good heat, and no attention whatever required. But some don’ts: don’t be careless about that first setting of the kindling frame. Don’t wse slack till it’s well alight. Don’t poke it. If you reverse all the above directions, you-have the correct scented for bituminous coal.

VINCENT

COUNTY

‘Eastbourne).