COAL SHORTAGE

Feilding Star, Volume 7, Issue 2243, 26 June 1929, Page 5

COAL SHORTAGE

SUGGESTION TO MIXERS POSITION TX CITRTSTCIITTRCII (Per Prcs s Association) Glii'lslchurch. June 25. A suggestion has been advanced that, in view of the present shortage of coal, the Government might; approach the Mineys’ Union and ask them if the miners would he willing lo work on Saturdays until the acute phase of ihe situation Is past. In the usual course ihe miners work only live days per week. Commenting on th e proposal, a man interested |n the coal trade said yesterday that hp did not think the GovernmoTif would ngfeo to the relaxation of the mining regulations.

The Christchurch merchants arc now depending on the daily arrivals of coal supplies to keep them going. Thp production on the West Coast is at, present; negligible. Drivers, who have been delivering orders of coal jo customers, report that they have found the coal bins already full. “This Is not fair,” said a local merchant. “It. means t|iat. some people are getting ahead of the honest man. w;ho Is not taking advantage of the shortage, and ore doing him put of ills jjnjirtpr of n ton of con). As a consequence the North Canterbury Uoalf%rorohants' Assooialhur Ik giving .consideration to a scheme for rationing coal. As the situation stands at present, this might mean the cutting dowm of supplies to a single bag at a time.”