MEAGRE COAL SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 289, 5 September 1945, Page 6

MEAGRE COAL SUPPLIES

Precarious Position Of Auckland Services WORKING ON HAND-TO-MOUTH BASIS (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, September 4. Many undertakings in Auckland which depend on coal are in a precarious position at present, and are operating on a margin which is not considered safe for undertakings which have to serve the public on a large scale. Though Government statements this year have placed an optimistic complexion on the future of tbe coal supply, the position seems to have deteriorated greatly. Transport services such as the railways ami Devonport Steam Ferry Company have just enough for them to maintain their operations, and some other industries are also living ou a hand-to-mouth basis. The position for householders is slightly better than it was a few months ago. Inquiries revealed that the railway depots in the area norlh of Taihape each had about a third of a week's supply of coal. At one stage in zkuckland recently railway coal supplies were so low that only the arrival of a coal boat from the south staved off serious difficulties. Had supplies been delayed for any length of time it is possible that the railway services would have had to be -curtailed. Little Open-cast Coal. Ministerial statements in the past indicated that open-east mining would do a great deal to solve the coal difficulties, but it is understood that only a small percentage of the coal received by. the railways in Auckland is from- the opencast operations.

The experience of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company is that the coal shortage has never been worse. After the vessels had been blinkered two weeks ago there were only three tons of coal left over, and last week there were only two tons left. Two years ago the company maintained a reserve of 2000 tons, which

was considered to be a proper reserve. It was stated that the service could be maintained fop three days on the boats’ bunker capacity, but apart from that tbe company had no margin to work

Coal coming from the Omana and the arrival today of tbe Kiwitea has given the Auckland Gas Company about 15 days’ supply, but ou Monday night a position was reached where for several hours there was no coal in the horizontal retort house at the gasworks. Full holders enabled a service to be maintained, but the Gas Company has also been operating on a slender margin for a considerable time.

The experiences of the railways and the ferry cympanv have been shared recently by many other industries'. Dairy companies in tbe ’Waikato were stated to be operating with meagre supplies. Dealing witli supplies o.f coal to householders, a merchant said the demand was being met and supplies of firewood were fairly plentiful.