USERS RESPOND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 108, 8 May 1943, Page 6

USERS RESPOND

ECONOMISING GAS

INDUSTRIES QUIET TO-DAY

Threatened with the loss of gas supplies, in the event of economy measures not being adopted, industrial and domestic users have quickly responded to the appeal of the Auck-

land Gas Company to cut down consumption. A "gas holiday" was observed by industrial concerns to-day, and householders curtailed their demand.

"We can already see the effects of reduced consumption," said the manager of the company, Mr. Rupert Worley, to-day. "There has been a definite easing down in the use of gas. ■ At 7 a.m. the gas holders contained 250,000 cubic feet more than yesterday morning. Everybody appears to be willing to assist. Large industrial concerns, producing food, clothing and munitions for the arme d services have shut down to-day, which in itself means a large saving of gas, while domestic users have responded splendidly to the appeal for economy. "If the estimated saving during the week-end of between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 cubic feet is realised, the company will be in a much more favourable position than at the commencement of this week, and usual supplies will be available for all. Apart from industry, the company has 55,000 consumers, and if each one of them saved a little gas to-day and to-morrow it would be a tremendous help." Neighbours Share Stoves Mr. Worley said the response by industry to proclaim to-day a gas holiday was most gratifying, and he also wished to commend the domestic users for their action in reducing consumption. He had heard this morning of a number of cases where people who had coal ranges had volunteered to cook for neighbours. The offers had been accepted. Asked whether it would be necessary for industrial concerns which used large quantities of gas to close down every Saturday until the company's new plant was in operation, Mr. Worley said, "I hope not." He added that if the response for economies this week-end came up to expectations there was every possibility of normal supplies being available all next week and probably until the new plant was ready. "It would be easy for people to keep down consumption if they would just give a thought to the position at the moment they went to turn on the gas tap," he said. Referring to the manufacture of gas, Mr. Worley said that at the moment the company's coal stocks were better than they had been for some months, but that did not mean that they were by any means adequate. As far as the new plant was concerned the brickwork had been finished, but it would take some time to complete the drying out process which was necessary before production could commence.