The Star. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1919. CLOSING THE COAL DEPOT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19813, 3 December 1919, Page 6

The Star. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1919. CLOSING THE COAL DEPOT.

• Tho City Council decided, by a very nnrrow majority, to close tho city coal depot. The decision was arrived at after n somewhat heated debate, in which accusations and counter-accusa-tions were frequent. It is true that the depot has not been a financial success, but the benefit it conferred on tho city during tho time of tho acute coal shortage counterbalances tho small deficiency. Many small consumers were being required to pay 7s per bag for j absolute rubbish, and there was indi.v I putablo evidenco that exploitation and profiteering were being practised in a most conscienceless manner. It was not until the City Council decided to open a coal depot that a move was made to protect tho consumers. Tho State coal depot was powerless, because its stocks were depleted, and orders covered consignments for a long timo ahead. The city depot was opened and continued in the face of the opposition of a strong party in the council, and there is a strong suspicion that influences outside the council were also hostile. The Coal Committee found it difficult to get coal and shipping space, and the quality of tho coal first received was not high. The position was complicated by the industrial troubles in Now Zealand and Australia—troubles which were really responsible for tho acute nature of tho shortage, j It is a question, then, whether tho j council could have succeeded in making > the depot pay even if it had been whole- ; heartedly in favour of the establish- ' ment of a permanent city coal depart inent. Quite recently an effort was '■■ made to import Newcastle coal, but j while supplies were available thore was j no shipping space for tho council. Other coal importers, of course, were more fortunate, but this may have been due to the fact that they were old and established customers. An appeal was mndo to Mr Massey to provide shipping space, but the Primo Minister was either powerless or antagonistic. The experience of New Zealand in re- j gard to coal supplies and shipping space should intensify the demand for the nationalisation of the coal mines and . the provisiou of State shipping. The ! Commonwealth, more alert than the ! Government of tho Dominion, got in j early with its shipping policy, and is I to-day reaping the advantage of its i foresight. .New Zealand is at the mercy of tho various shipping companies, and wliile those concerns have rendered good service on the whole, there is a feeling, amounting to a conviction, that a State shipping, line would be highly advantageous to the country. A good start could be made with the acquisition of the ferry service, and tho institution of State colliers. The State colliers, working in conjunction with State mines, should bo able to land coal at tho centres of population at a prico which would show a substantial reduction on that at present ruling.