WORSE THAN EVER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 164, 13 July 1943, Page 4

WORSE THAN EVER

CITY GAS SHORTAQj I PpOR QUALITY OF COAL J

"To-day is the worst day so f ', declared Mr. Rupert Worley, of the Auckland Gas Company, ■ discussing the gas supply situatj this morning. Gas production, he J? was down to just over 3,000 000 mafeet a day, whereas, if the right ti of coal was on hand the connSr could produce 4,000,000 cubic f&P' The staff and men at the wL were doing their best under cm,* tions which were extremely fo*T Mr. Worley continued. In the S place it was an arduous job ge'tSf the wet coal into the retorts and ri? 8 to the poor mixture of the coal it Z not coke properly. In consequent the machinery used for ejecting -th coke from the retorts was not aN to function properly, thus necessity ing raking by men in the face oft tense heat. As a result also ot Z defective coal, the machines, ■ffhSh were all electrically operated be! came overheated at critical points =m caused trouble, which added to the difficulties with which the comtianv had to contend. , y

There was not likely to be an im provement in the .supply of gas t& day, said Mr. Worley. He did m hold out any bright prospect of con ditions being any better to-morrow but added that there was a cargo of 1100 tons of better coal due shortly Referring to the effect of the gas shortage upon industry, Mr. Work said that until quite recently, when the situation had got serious, the company had been able to maintain full supplies of gas to all industrial concerns. This was due entirely to the efforts of the people in economic ing as requested to do by the company. People could be thankful that, as a result, until a Aveek or two ago supplies of bully beef, biscuits and so on to the troops had not been seriously curtailed.