COAL IN SHORT SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1923, Page 3

COAL IN SHORT SUPPLY.

«—■ INFLUENZA. ON WEST COAST. THE STRIKE IN NEW SOUTH WALES The prolonged wet, cold weather experienced this winter had the effect of so jrreatlv increasing the consumption of local coal that dealers have not been able to accumulate stocks, supplies from the local mines being absorbed as Boon I a- ihpy rami' to hand. "We lind the) utmost difficulty in securing sufficient | coal i..r ..'ii' requirements," was the remark made by a large coal dealer in I Auckland when asked about the posi- i lion. ll.' explained that "household"; was very scarce and even "kitchen"' wa- ! not Btiflieient.ly plentiful. Another • cause of the shortaer is that owing to j influenza a lot of time has been lost by! The miners. I Supplies from the West Coast mines . tire very short for a similar reason. H; is staled that about, half the miners en."loved by the Westport I'oal Compaiiy are off duty on account i.f sicklies- | and' at Hreynio'iith a similar position j cxi.-ts. At the latter place the Rakanoa i which was 1., load for Auckl.nnl. is de-j laved, and the Kaimanaiva, after :> pro- > triicted loading-, was unable to sail on, account of hud weather. Tiie Karon | is expected to load coal at West port | towards Lie end nf this week fur Au.-k-' Intnl. The result of this state of affairs: is that coal for shipping purposes is very j scarce just now ir> Auckland. The strike; of the miner- at Newcastle stopped coal j retichi'i" iic-.e '.'roil. tiii'.Fi.orl for some | months. T.':e Auckland <!.< t'omponyl flwa. - carries ; . lar_c stock of .-oal. and I for that reason the present shortage j is not atr.'ctiitL' ihe _ns supply. j MIHT'.Ni. I'l-'.K'.s THE I'iNi'll. j fi.nl supplies available for «l earners | loulin. a I West port and fireymouth ; are a bin • . a . h.-licv normal, and 'hip-! ~;.,e ~! ;,l; |i..;:s of New Zealand iuis ; ,'eU I've pit:.-... The position i- appal- j iti.lv innre acute at Auckla.l than a ' l.i,e ' S i. Ordinarily, shipments of! coal from New-astle arrive at Anvkland | re.uh.rlv at ir.loiv.iV ol 10-- than a! •'..iinight to supplement the supplies ' from West port, •■nit tin-e -uppiie- im\c been cut "If for four month- .by the I strike at Newcastle. The steamer K:ti- : korai. wi-ii-h arrived from Ne«;astlci • i :.i ~ • : .i l':i:. bron.hl a part cargo of | coal, and the Kauri will be due from V-'ensile direct in about a week's time. The Kauri will bring the first ; dire.-t shipment of oal since April. It amounts to about .".000 tons. It i. Ihi* po-ilion of Westport that lias been the direct cause of the present position. All reserves of coal for commercial purposes have just been exhausted, and all consumers requiring regular -itpplies have wen reduced to! the "hand to mouth" method of satisfy- I ing their requirements. By far the I largest consumer of (oalhrookdale coal at Auckland is the Auckland lias Company, which normally uses .".0 per cent of the shipments from Westport. Though tiie position has not made it necessary to curtail the gas supply, the company has been, compelled to draw heavily on reserve stocks, and l"ie Kaimanawa's ."•hipiiicnt, which is due l at Auckland on Wednesday, will therefore afford temporal-, relief. The Kaimanawa will he followed hv the Karori. which is to load at Westport on Thursday, and will be due here about next Tuesday. Though shipping is being affected hv the shortage, and the Stcphan and Duudrennan. which are now- at Aucklan.f. I are awaiting coal io »eple.iish their! •bunkers, the coal companies emphasise j the fact that ihe p.r»sent po.-ition is, only temporary, and immediate relief i will be afforded as soon as the miners j are all working again. I ' The shortage of ' household " and •'kitchen" coal is only indirectly affected l.y the shortage for shipping and the gas company and brick kilns: for the i quantity of t'oalhrookdale coal used ( at Au.Uland is only small in ordinary timiT.. Rut even thee limited supplies have now been withdrawn. 1 !