CITY COUNCIL COAL CONTRACT

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21320, 13 November 1934, Page 8

CITY COUNCIL COAL CONTRACT

10 THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir,—When the arbitration award referred to by Mr Parlane in his defence of the Christchurch City Council's action in letting a contract for coal to someone other than the lowest tenderer was made, the cost of living was at least 28 per cent, higher than it is now. Coal workers then had to pay Is 2d for a 41b loaf and Is 8d for a pound of but.er, which they now get for 8d; rents were about 30 per cent, higher. They had a 10 per cent, cut in money wages, which, with the 5 per cent, unemployment tax, left them wi.h a 13 per cent, higher purchasing power than they had before the slump started, and this after making the public pay the unemployment tax. Coal has not come down in price in proportion to the fall in other commodities, and the coal dealers of Christchurch are not giving the public a fair go. In no other part of New Zealand are the workers exploited by coal dealers to the same extent as they are in and around Christchurch. If ihose employed in the coal trade receive the same purchasing power they had before the slump they should be satisfied, indeed more than satisfied, because even at that they would not be carrying any of the load that has been forced on iO the community by the depression. As it is they are not only not taking their share of the sacrifices that have to be made, but they are benefiting by the sacrifices of o.hers, mostly other workers. It is this exploitation party that Mr Parlane is supporting. At no time did the Arbitration Court consider the purchaser. Nor was it at all concerned wheiher, the purchasers were exploited or not, hence it had to be altered. The principal use the unions' made of the court was to limit the numbers who could do almost any kind of work and even limit the numbers who could learn to do almost any kind of work, and all to force up prices against other workers.

It is" evident from this action of the Labour party on the City Council that it is not fitted to be trusted to look after the interests of the people. It has proved itself a party that will exploit the workers at every opportunity, even to the extent of forcing up the price of coal against the poor.— Yours, etc., L.R. November 11, 1934. [This letter was referred to Mr Robert Johnson, president of the North Canterbury Coal Merchants' Association who stated that coal prices to the public had been reduced considerably over the last two years, and that any reduction taking place at the mines had been passed on to the public. Unfortunately the coal trade was seasonal, and overhead expenses went on even in times of slack business. Mr Johnson said further that people were liable to lose sight of the fact that freight charges were very heavy on coal coming from Southland and the West Coast, ranging from Is 6d to Is 8d a bag.]