PRICE OF COAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22498, 15 August 1936, Page 14

PRICE OF COAL

DUNEDIN SUPPLIES FURTHER INCREASE POSSIBLE 40-HOUR WEEK LEGISLATION [ lIY TKLEG HA I'll —OWN COKHKHPONOKNT] DUNEDIN, Friday Although Dunedin coal merchants have raised the retail price of coal bv 2s a ton, according to local merchants, there is a prospect of a further increase when the 40-hour week comes into operation. " The miners are applying for a shorter working week and if they are successful tho price of coal will be considerably increased," said Mr. D. R. Wilson, chairman of the Coal Merchants' Association. The price of coal was increased by 2s a ton to local consumers at the beginning of July to meet the extra cost imposed by the recent legislation restoring wages to the ]9.'U standard, and Mr, Wilson said that the only person who could increase the price in the future would be the miners who were demanding a shorter working week. If what they asked for came about the price for retail coal would be considerably increased. The association had been in touch with the Government and had submitted figures covering a period of years showing the results of trading, and the Dunedin margin between the wholesale and retail price was very much lower than that enjoyed by traders in northern centres. Figures were sent to show that Dunedin merchants were not exploiting the public in any way. Speaking on behalf of the West Coast, collieries, the manager of the Westport Coal Company, Limited, Mr. W. A Flavell, said the Greymouth and Westport collieries had increased their costs by 2s a ton. A further addition would probably be made by the coal merchants and it looked as though the price would be advanced by .'is to 3s 6d a ton, which would represent in the case of small purchasers an extra charge of 3d a bag. It was unlikely that the West Coast collieries would affect Dunedin to any great extent, however, the city being almost entirely dependent upon supplies of coal from Otago and Southland.