COAL FOR GASWORKS

Evening Star, Issue 17369, 3 June 1920, Page 9

COAL FOR GASWORKS

BOARD OF CONTROL CRITICISED. I The following review of tho present position at the Dunedin gasworks and the conditions under which work there has been | carried on for some time past has been prepared, and will come before the City Council at their next meeting: Tlie position as regards coal supplies to the gasworks is the most acute which has possibly ever beeiv experienced in this history 01 the undertaking. From the inception of the controlling body, the Munitions Board, in 1917, right up to the present, the Dunedin gasworks has never in any vear been supplied with coal equivalent to the amount used, &* the following figures indicate: Years ending ; March. 1917. 1818. 1919. 1920. Coil stock (tons) ... 4,662 1,635 1,000 452 Oonl used (tons) ... 12,282 13,241 13,210 13,238 Coal received (tons) ... 11,724 10,736 12,347 12,541 Water-gas made (thousands cubic feet) 4,465 8,309 15,949 31,673 Coal equivalent in tons of water-gas made 336 659 1,199 2,450 The above figures require little explanation, beyond, perhaps, those under the last heading—coal equivalent in tons of water-gas made. These figures denote the annual saving in coal consequent on the use of water-gas. The amount of watergas made during the paat two years has been quite as much a« we could use with justice to the consumer; but in view of the coal situation the position as represented has been unavoidable. Our experience with the Board of Control, now running into three years,, lias not been a pleasant one. as in no year during tho board's control have the works received within 2,000 tons of the coal required to maintain a satisfactory service. Obviously, under a continuance of similar conditions we cannot carry on, and it is most improbable that any gasworks in the Dominion can produce figures comparable with the above. So far_as the operations of the board are concerned, their difiienlties are appreciated by us; but Dunedin has never yet experienced any hardship comparable with the other centres 1 in the way of a coal shortage for domestic purposes, and we cannot hold with their policy of supplying hard coal for domestic purposes and other uses where lignite coals are usable, as we are of opinion that the amount of hard coal diverted to such channels would probably meet any shortage experienced at the gasworks. Our storage capacity for coal at the gasworks is over 4,000 tons, and at no time previous to the board's control has our stock, with the coal in sight, been less than this amount. Yet this very factor of safeguarding the interests of pas consumers appears likely to be their undoing. On at ' least two occasions within the last two ' months these same stores have contained less than 5 tons of coal,, when the daily 1 | output of gas was equivalent to a con- ' i sumption of 60 tons. Notwithstanding ' | the most constant and persistent represen--1 i tation of our position to Wellington, we ; j are still experiencing the identical treat--1 ment that has characterised the board's treatment of the Dunedin gasworks during the whole period of their existence. The immediate position gives cause for grave anxiety. The Rakanoa arrived on Saturday. May 8, with 640 tons of coal, and on that day our stores were empty, owing to the vessel being delayed. This coal represented less than a fortnight's supply, but we were promised further shipments during the following week. This boat, however, was diverted, and the Flora substituted : but, owing to a delay, the Flora was late in arriving here. In the meantime the works were kept going by some Stockton coal, which was received from the Kaituna, and which enabled them to keep going until Monday last. The gas engineer (Mr Hungerford) telegraphed to the Goal Controller advising him of the position, and asking for immediate information as to the arrangements for further supplies for Dunedin. A reply has been received promising further coal from the Const, in the near future. The position now is that the works must j receive the actual equivalent cf the amount carbonised. Our past efforts, extending over the last three years, have not been successful, and we are reluctantly forced to the conclusion, in view of our experience with the board, that the position as legnrds the question of supplies is largely political; and the committee are therefore recommending the City Council to make strong representations of their position dirp"t to the Minister. The gas engineer (Mr Hungerford) forwarded the following letter to tho Town Clerk yesterday : In connection with Mr Massey'e statement appearing in the Press in reference to the coal situation of the Dominion, the coal supply at the gasworks of the Dominion is stated at 250,000 tons. The total amount of gas made in the Dominion during 1918-19 was 3,145,000,000 cubic feet. Allowing an increase of 8 per cent, per annum (quite a liberal allowance), the figures for 1920 would read as 3.396.000.000 cubic feet, of which Dunedin rmrtlo 202,000,000 cubic feet. On-tho basis of these figures Duncdin's proportionate allowance of coal for gas should have been 14,870 ton?, as .■igainst the 12.541 tons which were actuallv received.