MUNICIPAL SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 91, 17 April 1917, Page 8

MUNICIPAL SERVICES

COAL AND NATIONAL EFFICIENCY

jCDBTAILEi) LIGHTING AND TRAM

SERVICES.

Should the coal crisis develop, the public must be prepared for a curtailment of all public services-dependent upon fuel supplies. Corporation undertakings cannot reasonably bo excepted in the ■ rearrangement. With a "view to obtaining come indication .of the- council's intentions, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) was approached by a Post reporter to-day with a request for a brief statement of the position. The Mayor stated that the matter of the city[s coal supplies -was considered at a meeting of the Finance Committee last week, and the City Engineer and Tramways Manager (Mr W. H. Morton) was instructed to bring down a report "in respect' to the tramway and electric lighting undertakings. This re.port will be available for the Tramways and Finance Committees this afternoon. For very many months the difficulty experienced has been in building up reserves of coal. • Though this difficulty is accentuated at the present tune, it is not a growth of the past few weeks. To meet the position the council has had adjustments' made at one of the stations so that the same discrimination had not to be eserecised in regard to the kind of fuel used, but at the other station tlus does not apply to 1 the game extent. Stacks of coal have been maintained as hifstTas possible, having regard to the uninterrupted maintenance of the city services. "Quite apart from .ttML-diia..

colty that may present itself in regard I to the fuel problem," the Mayor added, I "there is also the consideration of wheI ther the efficiency of the country is promoted by carrying out the services with the maximum facility, or whether we should.not attempt to reduce some of the work bo as to assist in meeting abnormal conditions. There is no doubt, taking the tramway service, that a limitation can very well be brought into operation without imposing any hardship, and certainly very little inconvenience, on the community. At certain portions of the day the cars 'which are not working at the moan efficiency should be eliminated. With regard to the lighting of the city, it is for the council to consider -whether we cannot to a very large extent reduce the amount of lighting after a certain hour at night. These are matters that are being embodied in tho special report that the committee requested the Engineer to bring down to be available this afternoon, and which will then be communicated to the : council. " There is not the slightest doubt, in my opinion," the Mayor concluded, " that the council will, without further delay, limit the tramway service and also put a limitation upon the lighting of the city, so as to economise the fuel and assist in promoting national efficiency in tho conduct of the war."