The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1920. PUBLIC UTILITIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16681, 2 March 1920, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1920. PUBLIC UTILITIES.

On several occasions during the last few months users • of , .gas have experienced inconvenience through the failure or partial failure of the supply due to the shortage of coal. Complaints have heen made hut generally ■speaking the inconvenience has been borne with patience because it was felt that the local Gas Company was the victim of circumstances and that the fault lay chiefly elsewhere. Last week the trouble became acute ou account partly of wet weather causing congestion of shipping and the non-arrival of an expected- shipment of gas coal. It so happened that the deputy-chairman of the Coal Trade Committee, Mr. A. S. Collins, was visiting New Plymouth, and he has made a definite statement in our columns to the effect that the Gas Company is solely responsible for the position' in which it finds itself. This statement has not heen contradicted. It appears that the Coal Trade Committee, who work, in a ■purely honorary capacity,, giving much time to what is really national service, made the necessary provision for supplies of coal to the Gas Company to enable it to furnish the public with gas in the terms of its charter. Apparently a serious error of judgment was made in not accepting the coal offered. In the case of any ordinary business there would be nothing to be said; it would be a matter for the dealer alone. But the Gas Company holds a monopoly by charter and is morally if not legally bound to carry out its part of the contract, namely,-to keep the public supplied with gas. In the event of the supply failing the public is entitled to an explanation, and assuming that the explanation offered by Mr. Collins is the correct one, that the supply failed because the Gas Company did not accept coal when it was available; then the public hqs a right to complain and to call the Gas Company to account for its failure. We do, not write in this strain because we have ourselves heen put to inconvenience; fortunately we are able to overcome it to a large extent; hut in the interests of many other users of gas who have suffered far more inconvenience than we have. A prudent business man will take care that his stocks do not .run out if by paying extra he can replenish them, even at a loss to himself. The Gas Company should h© guided by the same principle, to serve and retain it© customers, even if a temporary loss is involved. In its ease, however, there is an obligation, implied if not expressed, to supply the public with gas at any cost to itself. The question of supply and distribution of ooal has heen a troublesome one r for a very long time/ The Coal Trade Committee has admittedly handled it' efficiently and it is entitled to the support .of consumers, especially the large consumers, in its efforts to make the distribution as fairly as possible with the least possible inconvenience. The Gas Company, in its extremity through failure to accept coal when offered, has secured other supplies which were more or less urgently needed by other consumers, thus throwing into confusion the distributing nlachinery. It has been difficult, we know, for

reserve— the Coal Committee it-" self would probably see to it that" no large reserve was held by any consumer —but a question of price should not be allowed to> intervene to the jeopardising of the supply of - so important a public utility as gas.