COAL SHORTAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25851, 23 May 1945, Page 4

COAL SHORTAGE

MAYOR TAKES ACTION APPEAL TO GOVERNMENT Action has been taken by the Mayor (Mr D. C. Cameron) with a view to alleviating the desperate position in which many householders find themselves because of the shortage of coal. Mr Cameron has been inundated with requests over the telephone and by citizens in person seeking some means of obtaining relief. The Mayor yesterday sent the following telegram- to the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones), the Acting Minister of Mines (Mr J. G. O’Brien), and the Controller of Mines (Mr C. H. Benney):— “ Received deputation Housewives’ Union. Also present were Messrs P. Neilson and P. G. Connolly. Deputation made strong case for supplies of domestic coal. Discussed position today with seal merchants, who are doing their utmost to supply from small quantities arriving and have orders unfulfilled extending over four weeks. On behalf of all citizens, I make an urgent appeal for immediate supplies' of domestic coal, as there are many homes requiring coal urgently.” “No additional stocks have been received from Southland,” said the president of the Dunedin Coal Merchants’ Union (Mr D. R. Wilson) yesterday. “ Coal merchants are still four weeks in arrears with their orders, and at present they are dealing with orders received on April 30.” With the small supplies of coal arriving in Dunedin, he added, it would take the best part of the present week to complete delivery of these orders, and a start would be made next week with the delivery of orders received on May 1, and so on in rotation unless the supply position had materially Improved.