Galway In Days Gone By
1920
Coal shortage
Trading at Galway Port has almost become a thing of the past. If something is not done quickly to restore shipping, the City’s plight will go from bad to worse.
Mr. Martin McDonogh, the Chairman of the Urban Council, stated at the monthly meeting of that body yesterday (Thursday) that if the lack of trade at the docks continued the labourers and other officials employed in connection with the harbour would have to be dismissed. This dearth of shipping is causing coal to be scarce and dear.
Even a cargo of coal cannot be got to Galway – they could not get any ships to carry the coal, the Chairman said. If they were allowed to get coal from Glasgow the freight would be only 27s. a ton, but the Coal Controller would not permit them to get their coal there.
Mr. McDonogh was taking part in a discussion on the question of fixing prices of coal in Galway, and detailed the difficulties of his own firm to get the commodity.
They would be allowed, he said, to get coal at Cardiff, but the freight from there would be £2 a ton.
“A lot of fellows who never were able to do – and never did – any business for themselves,” was his description of the Government officials who were thus mismanaging affairs.
“They know nothing about business and they upset everything,” he added.
Mr. T. C. McDonogh said that the coal would be cheap enough in Galway if it could be got direct from Glasgow.
The Chairman said they usually got their year’s supply of coal shipped to Galway in summer as shippers did not want to send their vessels to West coast ports in winter.
They could not get that done during the past year. Last week they got a little cargo of 280 tons to Dublin. The vessel was held up there for some time with the result that they had to pay 8s. a ton for demurrage.
Mr. Cunningham: We have no use of a port of harbour at Galway at all if things continue as they are.
Chairman: The Coal Controller is like a small god, and you cannot go near him.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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