COAL MONOPOLY IN NEW PLYMOUTH.

NZ Truth, Issue 701, 23 November 1918, Page 3

COAL MONOPOLY IN NEW PLYMOUTH.

Dear "Truth,"—As it Is practically impossible for anyone not "within the sphere"' of newspaper influence m New Plymouth to have correspondence inserted m the local papers unless he or she belongs to the clique, may I crave a few lines m your paper (which is steadfast to its name) m exposing a coal monopoly that exists and has •existed. There are five coal dealing firms (here, and, m respect of lignite coal, especially one, with another m tow, seems to control almost tlfe entire import, m defiance of the regulations laid down by the Wellington Coal Trade Committee (under whose jurisdiction Taranaki comes). And. this, despite tha efforts of the locai representative of the committee, whose firm is one of the sufferers. The fact is that during the period, October 10 to October 31 (I am taking this as an example, because for the period all numbers of trucks and other details are available) the two monopolist firms secured 23 trucks (about 290 tons) against thrfee (about 38 tons) secured by the other three firms. Is this, lequal distribution? Prior to the recent by-election questions were asked by members of the trade, who are vitally concerned, and Messrs. Wilkinson and Smith (Ms.P.) and J. G. Connett expressed themselves emphatically against the coal monopoly that has existed here for months—and still continues. The three firms (names en- j closed for verification) are large suppliers to- the hospital, private nursing homes, bakeries, hotels, 'etc., and when applied to for lignite have to rofude and refer their customers to So-and-So or So-and-So (the monopolists) ; and the trade of the three nonmonopoliata thu3 languishes, whils prices soar up at the will of those who control the local business. Each one of these three firms ha 3 the carts and the men to deliver the coal if they can get a fair share of the commodity, and their employees are suffering by not receiving an equal distribution of the black diamonds that arrive at this port. Further, while the latter men are practically idle half their time tl>e monopolists' employees are going all hours "till they're damn well dropping," as one of them informed me. "Could not oven get half-an-'hour to celebrate Austria's going- out," he said. Several reasons have been advanced for this monopoly, but none seems feasible, except the one that there la a Bort of understanding be* tween the local monopolists and the coal suppliers. In falrnass to the sufferers, M the local papers &r* bo parochially blind. "Truth" will publish this complaint from more than one. — Youra, etc, \ "SUFFERER FROM PROFITEERING." New Plymouth, Nov. 8, 1918.' P.S.—Since the above was written I have seen a communication from one proprietary absolutely refusing to supply coal to one of the smaller local firms on the ground that the monopolists of New Plymouth were giving them every satisfaction. Again, only the other day a monopolist dumped, a, whole truck of lignite into a certain bakery yard, while at the same time refusing (on account of small supply) a request from one of the outsiders for a ton or two with which to suDply nursing homes, etc. There are three trucks, fully loaded m the station yards now (November 9), but the small firms are unable to procuve even a sack of It.