MUNICIPAL COAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19812, 2 December 1919, Page 10

MUNICIPAL COAL.

AN UNPROFITABLE BUSINESS. COUNCIL DEPOT TO BE CLOSED. Brief indeed was tie report placed before the City Council last evening by the Coal Committee. It was stated that ns the committer bad been unsuccessful j so far in obtaining a supply of Newcastle coal it had decided to watt »>n the Prim© Minister on his return from tho south and ask him to assist the council in the matter. With regard to the depot on Moorhouse Avenue, the committee was of opinion that the business should he suspended until such time ns. the council was able to obtain r, permanent supply 0 f .rood household co».l. <Vnneillor Agar asked what "susjjomied" meant.. 'iho Mayor said that the business world be suspended till they had a good ■runutity of coal to deal with. Councillor Agar, who had given notice of motion on the subject,'said the committee's report did not meet tho direr -non in which he wanted to go in lus motion. He quite frankly -wanted to shut up the coal business, if thev iidoprcd the Coal .Committee's report

they left it again to the committee to start on a- losing business. If they shut it tip and started .square, they would know better whero they were, The. coal question had brought 'much ill feeling into the council, they had had enough discussion of it- in the council. The report was adopted. COUNCILLOR AGAR'S MOTION. Councillor Agar later moved, according to notice, that the Christchurch City Council's Coal Department should be closed forthwith. He said he I thought the issue was quite clear. The committoo had shown quite clearly thatit hud to suspend operations, and that ' the thing had been quite unprofitable. Councillor Lnngley: I'll reply quite as- briefly ' I Tho-.Mayor: I want- a seconder. Councillor Williams seconded the motion. I Councillor Snlliran a?kod whether the } motion was in order in view of the ' adoption <$ (he committee's report, I Tho Mayor replied that there wore • several ruuniny; details, siding -tele-1 phone, etc.. that had to ho taken into' consideration. i [ Councillor f/ongley spoke of the no-i tion—ho said that he would not call' it cowardly—of some other people. Ha! asked that the committee should he. \ given a chance when some of the lrm! inJiipnce? were asleep. ° : Councillor :i3ean la ml'said th* micman-i foment of the Coal Committee titled j mm .from supportmp ir, nnv furthet the standard wage in the cilv was Is | M an hour, and the committor', paid : U i »u hour when the business w», not a ' paying concern. U c wanted to know {

tthy the committee did not, sell the tiiirfcy tons of coal at Aldington. Voices: It's fold. Councillor Heanhmd said the committee had had every chance. Councillor Langiey: lt : s not true. Councillor Beanland .said the npininu of many of the people in the city was that the yard*should be closed.' Councillor Sullivan said the matter hud been discussed threadbare. If they had had the. same zealous assistance from tiio other side of iho table, as they had had from Councillor Nieholis the effort would have been crowned with success instead of failure. From his. recent, meetings he. had become thoroughly cognisant of I.ho fiict thai, tho Council had done the right filing in going into the coal business. Interruptions caused Councillor Sullivan to ask the Mayor that he should "control the gentlemen on the other sido of the table and ask them to be fiuiet nud mannerly and take their gruel." Then* was. he continued, no mismanagement i" regard to iho coal business: their only trouble was that, they could nor get the coal. "Having rendered this assistance," said Councillor Sullivan, ''you gentlemen on the other side instead of sitting there with a smile of smug soil-complacency-—" The_arrival oi' the time for the holding of a special meeting interrupted Councillor Sullivan's speech. When the subject was rc-umcti. Councillor Sullivan asked that the rounci! shoulfl alien- the cnminit.tee'>< ivnorv lo stand. Councillor Armstrong said bo wn± of opinion that, the member.-, of ihc <-ommittco had not. rc<v>iv<>d -the assistance

from the other side of the table tliov ' should have received, \-.\n he .vas as surer] that if cvciy member of llio courted had boon in favour of the eoai scheme they would have landed in tho f.aino rosmou as ihey noro in that day. Uifu-o vbi-c lorcos outside the council. An organisation had b, cu formed out- : siflo tor rombaiin.:: inuii.,-;:ina| enur-' pI'ISO. Councillor Fisher said the report : ivoultl not have boon brought down £iaf i Might but for the notice ,y, motion cum- : >ng doiro It was. a L , lr j ous rai ,, d . They had no ri-ht l 0 i o! . e ( )ie peoples money m an unprofitable eou-' corn. ; ■ Councillor Herbert said that thni people who had beueiiu-d in a time of j stress would be only too willing tohelp to start tho busings nsain.* Oouuoillor Hunter said the'tnne was eoimuj:, and coming ve.v quieklv when I a cnango wn* going to take place in regard to vested intercuts, which the.-' were {ledums all the' line Couunllor Harper said he took vow st-roujc exception to some 0 f the remarks on both sides of the table There bad been a, yivnt deal -or rot talked Joey wanted to feot a war from'the' wild sort of statements! tlmv hsd Jim ' beard. If they bad pin a manaeer into | |be. mil business they %\oul<! nrobahh- ; have done IvUer. ' ' ! Councillor U/Kollnr: A snmll oxplniin.l tioi)--the. <'ireular .-omptainod of ivn-- ' issued in- <he rWtricul rnmoanio. , in .|! bad uothiiicr to do wii.h .•.,;.i .-,,. -y,\. He, "aid that, the ronl the council- had ',-.-..' i ,-t a tied bad Imen dearer than WestpoT I coal.. ; Councillor Jameson wondered wbv. [ if iboy b:,d a Stale coa! office, th.'-v: should have found it noi-p=?arv to sfn< ; r j a municipal office. 1 Councillor Williams .-aid thev <bonld ' cease, experimenting. ' i Councillor in r ,.,>t v . .;,,,. if; they riesired to enter the coal business a.cwm. let. tbom take a poll of the ratepayers. The logical reason whv private enterprise could noi <■•,.;' the eon!: wa;« beeauso ibey eould not provide i ■■'bips in live minutes. Ibo motion, on hoin:.r nut. wa< eaj. lied, ihf vol intj beinj;:—■" -Vves («i Bi.-mland. Andrews, dam.-.. sou. Harper. Aft-ir. .Vl'Kelh.r. Fiosher. \\ ilhams. j Xoes 17)-Herbert. Sullivan. Hunter. 1-an-ley. Armstrong. Nieholk Tharkev. !