COAL SUPPLIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10521, 24 February 1920, Page 7

COAL SUPPLIES

COMMITTEE'S GOOD WORK THE PERMIT. SYSTEM.: EQUALITY OF DELIVERIES. While there are many of the Government departments whose ivork has creased since the signing' of the Annis-tico there is at least one branch whoso business has increased as a result of the termination of the war, and that is the Wellington Coal Trade Committee, a body of" business ■ men who have since 1917 acted in an honorary capacity to assist in the regulation of coal supplies. In Julv of last year, when there existed a serious shortage of. coal supplies this committeo found it necessary to lnaugurfto a permit system, so as to enable every householder to secure an equal portion of the very necessary household commodity. At that time the committee were cognisant of the fact that persons who could afford to purchase large quantities of coal, were depriving those oi poor means from obtaining even a smalt quantity, also the fact that other people were purchasing coal from several merchants and hoarding it. A warning was then issued against those hoarding or accumulating coal, pointing out that by so doing it was a broach of the Coal Trade of 1917. Howeyev, in Julv the committee found it ospedient to regulate the supplies, and as a result-oi their ontorpriso a permit system was introduced which has proved an unparalleled success. PERMIT SYSTEM EXPLAINED. A "New Zealand Times" reporter yesterday had-the inside office workings in connection with the permit system-ex-plained to him by the secretary and a member of the Wellington Coal Trade Committee, and was astonished at the huge amount of work that is entailed. A large number of male and female clerks are employed in attending to the reports from the many coal merchants, and the issuing of the permits. Promptness and accuracy are the essential factors noticeable in this busy office, the system reducing mistakes to a minimum. Every coal merchant or dealer in the city has a book supplied to him, in which he must enter the name and address of the householder ordering coal, together with the quantity required. At the end of his day the dealer sends his sheet in to the permit office, where on arrival the following morning the names of hie customers are sorted out and placed in alphabetical sequence on cards. The cards are checked, all anomalies or cases of duplication (if any) noted, and in .all such instances explanations are required. / EQUALISATION. The following instance will show the effect the permit system has in equalising the delivery, enabling everybody to partake of a fair share of the coal supplies: A householder applied) t& four ditlerent coal merchants for five cwt of coal from each on the following dates, January 6th, 20th, and on February 4th and 12th. Under the old free and easy method previously obtaining that particular householder would have received a ton of coal from the four merchants, while obviously somebody w.ould have had to be content with only one or two hundredweight. But under tho present up-to-dato system it is impossible for one householder to get more than tho other. It frequently occuts that an application is received from a merchant for 10 cwt of coal for the one residence. The dealer is at once written to, and in some instances advised to deliver a small quantity, and to await further particulars about tho balance. The occupier of the house is also written to, and the reply (which might state that the amount of coal asked for is required for, perhaps, a nursing home, boarding house, etc.), is marked on the personal card and kept for reference. Until the merchant is in receipt of the authorised permit he cannot supply the coal, even if it is only a hundredweight. In urgent cares, particularly cases of sickness, the merchant can, bv ringing the secretary, receive verbal permit for immediate delivery. The permit system also embraces Hutt and Petone districts. The number of cards in use is well over 30,000. When asked as to whether the system was a success or not the secretary, Mb: Boy Johnston, replied that it had been a phenomenal success. "The coal merchants have assisted us in! every possible way and in a wonderful spirit, and apparently recognise the benefits derived .from the scheme." AN INTERESTING- TABLE.

The following table shows the number of _ orders and the quantity of coal supplied each month sinco the system came into operation last July, the average delivery to each householder being 2cwt lqr 241 b per month, which alone speaks for tho fairness of the system:— No. of Quantity of 1919. orders. Coal. July 3(5,886 3,296 • August 25,553 3,110 September 19,011 2,297 October 23,704 2,816 November* 20,012 2,326 December* 13,099 2,030 January* 7,223 ■ 860

Total for seven months 135,488 16,737 •Summer months. Average quantity, 2cwt. lqr. 341 b. THE COAX, CONFERENCE.

"The coal conference has concluded favourably," Mr Gibson, acting-chair-man, said yesterday, "and there is every prospect of supplies for both domestic and eteam purposes being increased, which should considerably relievo the position in the near future. At: tho same timo it must be remembered that industries in particular have no reserve stocks, and -will necessarily have ; first call on the available, supplies."