IN SHORT SUPPLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 135, 19 March 1940, Page 6

IN SHORT SUPPLY.

COAL STOCKS IN ASHBURTON.

MORE DIFFICULTY IN WINTER Supplies of coal in Ashburton are at a low level at the present time, due to a, variety of causes, and a merchant told a “Guardian” reporter that the winter months were going to he very dimcult as far as catching up on supplies was concerned. One of the causes of the shortage of AVest Coast coal has been that ships which might normally have bunkered in Australia, have, because of the strike among miners there, been faking in supplies, in the Dominion. Many merchants are three weeks behind with orders they have sent to the - mines, it was stated, and the blockage of the railway line to the AVest Coast recently added v to the delays. The demand for coal is not heavy just how, but it will not be long before winter supplies are being asked for, and the merchant quoted above said that if consumers could get in their orders early it would bo of great assistance to the trade. At the same time, he pointed out, there were not many people who could find the space for any large quantity of coal, while there were many who could not 'afford to'purchase a number of sacks at one time.

Another factor, it was stated, was that Australian coal which at one time came into this country freely, was not being landed now. Supplies of coal from the southern mines have not been affected to the safno extentg as those from the Coast.