The Bay of Plenty Times SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1945. CHEERLESS HOME FIRES THIS WINTER

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 13777, 9 June 1945, Page 2

The Bay of Plenty Times SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1945. CHEERLESS HOME FIRES THIS WINTER

• «• There is a short ago of coal, of electricity ami gas, the three essentials for comfort 111 the home. The shortage does not mean that householders are to be deprived of these elements, but they are to be used very sparingly. This is cold comfort and to many it seems to be the result of inefficient management and of careless consideration of the needs of the people, for the main cause of this unhappy position of householders may be fairly attributed to the Jack of coal. Coal is the basic factor and if the government acted with common sense there would probably have been no real shortage. The repeated strikes on the West Coast of the South Island have not been dealt with as they should have been. , The seriousness of strikes on society does not appear to be fully appreciated. A strike does the minimum of harm to those employing the miners as compared with harm done to society which, after all. means the aggregation of families. A strike sabotages society and victimises the jieople and for that reason strikers should have no voice in the government of society. The coal shortage has severely restricted railway traffic, while the gas companies, shut out of supplies from Australia and having to rely largely on locally produced coal, have been unable to serve the public as well as they would like to. Gas is now largely used in the kitchens of the homes and without a reasonably good supply of gas the cooking arrangements in many homes have been greatly disturbed. This falls very hard on the mothers of young children, but that does not concern the coalminers. The case for electricity appears to be somewhat different The lack of generating plant, especially in the North Island, is said to be the basic cause of the shortage of the element. It is, however, singular that periodically householders are. requested to economise in electricity, but between the periods of request there appears to have been no restriction on the use of electricity. Besides being required for lighting the homes and the streets electricity is now being freely used for cooking and heating. It will thus he *een with these shortages and restrictions the home fires this winter will be cheerless. Who is to blame? Surely the blame presses on the administration. There appears to be a great lack of foresight and of planning. It is not sufficient to blame anyone, but those held 1o blame should be brought to book and punished accordingly.. The only punishment that could be inflicted on a political party is to so east the votes that the party will be driven into the wilderness of forgotten things. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY T)o not forget that an honest, wise zeal, a lowly, triumphant trust, a true heart, and a helping hand constitute man, and nothingless is man or woman. —Maw Baker Eddv.