AUCKLAND BADLY PLACED.

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1920, Page 5

AUCKLAND BADLY PLACED.

ELECTRIC POWER INVOLVED

AUCKLAND, Jan, 8. That the various municipal under : takings may be seriously embarrassed in the near future unless there is some improvement in the coal supply was clearly indicated by the Mayor (Mr J. H. Gunson) to-day. He remarked that he had gone fully into th e question of the resources of the principal services, namely > those of the tramways and the electric departments, with the chairman of the Public Services Committee (Mr W. J. Holdsworth) and the heads of the departments concerned. The maintenance of these services depended i entirely upon their ability to obtain coal equal in supply to the normal quantities used prior to the interruption by the "go-slow", policy. "The notion to-day," said Mr Gunson, "is that practically the whole of our resources have been absorbed, and these important undertakings are now depending on the daily supplies of coal. Unless these improve it can only be a very short while before the city is confronted with the serious prospect, of a coal famine for its utility services." It must be realised that many of th c city's industries are dependent upon the city electrical station, while clearly the tramway services also cannot be maintained without a full supply of coal to ensure the necessary output of current by the electrical j department. The question of the

importation of coal has been fully considered, but at the present pro-

hibitive price, namely, £4 per ton, as against something under £1 per ton which the Council is paying for local coal for the city services, and having regard to the fact that no importations can bring adequate relief, such a course it was considered by the committee did not offer a satisfactory solution. If the Council could have imported coal with a reasonable prospect of maintaining a steady supply it would b e another question, but for the Council simply to import a cargo or two which might or might not be available at the present high price would not meet the demand without auxiliary local supplies." In conclusion, the Mayor expressed the hope that the output of the mints would be early restored to normal and threatened famin e thereby averted.