THE CITY'S GAS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 134, 9 June 1942, Page 3

THE CITY'S GAS

SERIOUS VIEW TAKEN

MAN-POWER PROBLEM

A serious view of the position regarding the city's gas supply was taken by representatives of the Wellington Gas Company who appeared today before the No. 4 Armed Forces Appeal Board in support of appeals for/four retort house workers. A shortage of labour in the retort house to man the plant necessary for the present demand and to operate additional retorts against the approaching peak demand was said to be the company's most difficult manpower problem. When the Crown representative (Mr. C. O. Bell) recalled that at a previous hearing the possibility of gasless days had been mentioned, the company's engineer (Mr. J. Hungerford) said that the position today was more serious than at any other time. Mr. Bell: There is a possibility that gas might be rationed, then?

Mr. Hungerford replied that that might have to be done ' unless the labour situation improved, and the result would be to throw a further load on the already ,«overburdened electricity supply..

Mr. D. R. Hoggard, counsel for the company, said that rationing would be extremely difficult owing to the way in which Wellington was reticulated.

It was stated that with the exception of a few key men, the company had not appealed for any but retort house .operators, and that of approximately 298 male employees at the outbreak of war, about 30 per cent, had now gone into military service. Without an adequate retort house staff the whole supply of gas for Wellington would break down.

Recently the company had narrowly escaped a breakdown by temporarily adopting the unsatisfactory practice of using: 100 per cent. Newcastle coal, in place of the normal mixture of two-thirds Newcastle coal and one-third New Zealand coal.

"We nearly went out about ten days ago," said Mr. Hoggard. , "The holders were practically flat. It was then we had to use 100 per cent. Newcastle coal to get gas back into the holders."

The company's holders were stated to have a capacity of approximately 3,750,000 cubic feet of gas, and this amount was approximately the maximum that had ever been consumed in a single day. During the 24 hours ended 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, the consumption amounted to 3,711,000 cubic feet. The company anticipated the utmost difficulty, even if it resorted to using 100 per cent. Newcastle coal, in coping with the demand unless it was given the men to bring another bed of retorts into use.

AH four cases, which had been brought before the board for review, were adjourned sine die, and the company was recommended to apply to the man-power authorities for additional labour for its essential undertaking.