COAL AND GAS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16735, 17 May 1922, Page 7

COAL AND GAS.

COST TO CONSUMERS.

INTERESTING EXCHANGE OF VIEWS. Some light was thrown on the fncj tors governing the cost, of gas to oon- | sum era in Christchurch during an ex- | change of views at the Conciliation Council this morning. The dispute before the council was that between the Gasworks Employees’ Union and the Gas Company. Tlie chief speakers in the hurried Jir.tle argument were MY Renn, an assessor for the union, and Mr R. (\ Bishop, one of the Gas Company representative*. Mr Renn mentioned that the Auckland Gas Company intended to reduce ! its rates, and the total reduction was i £12.800 per year ‘* How they arc j going to do it is difficult to understand. I seeing that the Auckland Union rate of wages was not fixed by the Arbitration j Court, and therefore was not affected by the 5s reduction in bonus."’ lie j said. The Conciliation Commissioner (Air | W. if. Hagger) : T thought that the i reduction was in the price of gas to Mr Renn: T understand that they | arc going to reduce the price of gas. j but the reason for doing so is on no~ ; count of the Arbitration Court’s proi nouncement, but they are not subject !to the jurisdiction of the Court. Mr Re?in took occasion a little later to say i to Mr Bishop that he thought the con j sinners of Christchurch would like t<* I see thc> gasworks emplovees better paid | than they wore. ! Mr Bishop retorted that the men i were quite well treated. Mr Renn : You get coal here cheaply 1 Mr Bishop: AYe do not! Mr Renn: Well. the newspapers have been publishing advertisements lately of drops in tlie price of coal up to 10s per ton. The price of coal generally has declined. Mr Bishop (emphatically) : No ! Mr Rmn : But the Government hare coal in stock totalling half a million sterling. Air Bishop: And yet they want to. charge us £6 10s a ton. Air Renn: There is a large surplus of coal in the country at present and j it should not he difficult for your coin j pany j Mr Bishop: AYe have to use a certain j proportion of Newcastlencoal, and it is Air Renn : Tt seems difficult for tin* j layman to understand why coal should j surplus of coal in the country. Mr. Bishop: Lignite coals have come j down, but we have no use for such. j Air. Renn: Well, it is curious that a fall in one grade of coal should not Me j followed by a fall in other grades. Tt looks as though there was something substantial happening when the Auckland company cuts out £12,800 per annum in the charge to the consumer. Mr Bishop: But they have the ad vantage of twice our distribution. And besides, they put up the price of gas 95 per cent while we put it up only 50 per cent. In renewing his argument in favour of granting an increase in wages to the employees of the Gas Company, Mr Renn said that, with the probable exception of the Timaru Company, the Christchurch Company was in the happiest position so far as the investors ! were concerned. Mr Bishop: Why? Air Renn : Because you don't pay the wages Auckland, Wellington and AY an j ganui pay! # Air Bishop: Our shareholders for the-' past fire rears have been penalised 20 j per coni on their dividends. They j have given that tip to meet the increased expenditure. Four shillings from J every £1 have been taken from the dividends. The Government have taken 8< 9 8-5 d out of every £l, too. Afany I are only small shareholders, and they j have made sacrifices to keep up the I men's wages and meet other expense-;. ■ Ah- Renn: But the cost of coal has been a bigger factor in votir management than the cost of wages. Mr Bishop: The increases in wages 1 into five figures per year Air Bishop stated that if the shareholders had the same results accorded to them ns the wage-earners they should have had an increase of at least 7f per cent on the old rate. Mr Renn: They are on a gilt-edged J security at 8 per cent and that is not j biHi: Mr Bishop: It is not enough fori them. .After stating that he could not ; agree to any variation in the rate* of J wages, the argument dropped.