COAL SHORTAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25211, 25 May 1945, Page 6

COAL SHORTAGE

iWAIKATO SHIVEBS FIVE DEGREES OF FROST (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday Many Hamilton residents hare been unable to secure sufficient coal for the cooking of three meals daily. In some homes there is no fuel for open fires to warm rooms on occasions like this morning, when five degrees of frost were registered. The greatest sufferers are those people who are living on the outskirts of Hamilton and pre not supplied with gas. A coal merchant in Hamilton East has censed supplying coal to State houses, as they are equipped with electric stoves for cooking. Supplies of firewood are (still available in the district, but merchants are experiencing difficulty in securing the manpower to cut it or transport for its delivers The Waikato Hospital and most of the private hospitals are adequatelv supplied with coal, but a maternity home has been unable to obtain supplies. One of Hamilton's leading hotels is without coal for its central heating system. Ah official of the gasworks at Hamilton stated that the works were receiving coal "from hand to mouth." The normal production of gas was being maintained STATE MINE IDLE FUNERAL OF A WORKER (0.C.) GHEYMOUTH, Thursday The Wallsend State mine was idle today, following a meeting of employees this morning, The men decided not to resume until after the funeral of a former workmate. The mine will not resume until Saturday. GAS FAILS AGAIN BLEAK PKOSPECTS TODAY WORKS SHORT OF COAL Auckland's gas supply failed again yesterday, the pressure giving out in the city and suburbs about 0.30 last evening, while many housewives were in the midst of their preparation of evening meals. Reduced pressure was restored late in the evening. The supply failed last week-end, following n breakdown in the steam boiler house, as a result, of which the usual week-end reserves of gns were not built up for the ensuing week. The general manager of the Auckland Gas Co., Mr R. Worley, stated that this lack of reserves would probably cause difficulties, and pressure was reduced during the afternoons for a period to endeavour to conserve supplies. Small reserves will have been built up overnight, enabling '.he usual service to he restored this morning, but further diffieulties may be experienced later today. "The works are practically out of eoal," said Mr Worley last night. "All that is left is a small shipment which arrived yesterday from West-port and this is unsuitable for carbonising purposes."