CITY GAS SUPPLY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 100, 30 April 1945, Page 6

CITY GAS SUPPLY

RESTRICTED SERVICE

NORMAL FROM TO-MORROW After being suspended over the week-end because of the strike of the retort house workers, the city gas supply was restored at 6 a.m. to-day for limited periods coinciding with meal times. Gas for industrial purposes was available only during the same hours. The full service, including that for industrial consumers, will be available to-morrow morning.

Though the workers concerned went on strike at noon on Thursday some of the residences in the higher parts of the city had gas until Saturday morning, but the majority of households were without gas from Friday morning. During the interruption in the service improvised methods of cooking had to be resorted to, petrol and kerosene burning stoves, electric grillers and sitting room fireplaces all being used to tide families over the days when there was no gas.

Men in the retort house resumed work about noon on Saturday following a further conference between the acting Minister of Labour, Mr. O'Brien, and representatives of the Trades Council, but the stokers at the chamber oven plant did not begin work until midnight. Stocks of gas were built up yesterday, with the result that a limited service wa.i resumed to-day. Production to-day had not reached the normal supply.

Stocks of coal on hand are sufficient for about 18 days' supply and are stated by the manager, Mr. R. Worley, to be of reasonably good quality. The Minister, accompanied by Mr, Worley, members of the strike committee, the secretary of the union (Mr. Bell) and representatives of the Trades Council, made an inspection of the works on Saturday afternoon.