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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 Jul 1941

Vol. 84 No. 15

Committee on Finance. - Adjournment Debate—Supply of Candles.

Mr. Byrne

In Dublin during the past couple of weeks I have been stopped by housekeepers who informed me that they found great difficulty in getting paraffin oil or candles. The difficulty may not have been noticed very much because of the long evenings. In four or five weeks, however, the evenings will be growing darker, and those who have no electric light or gas in their homes will be left without candle light or lamp light of any description. Those of us who know the tenement houses and their rickety staircases must imagine what is likely to happen if our people find themselves without either candle light, paraffin oil, or any kind of illuminant in their rooms. They will not have even firelight, as they will have no fuel. I raise this question in order to ask the Minister if he has any plan to provide lighting or heating facilities for our people, and if he has a plan whether he will let it be known before it is too late.

It is well known—and it has been stated here—that the raw materials essential for candle manufacture are not in the country. Otherwise, I would ask the Minister to speed up, if it were possible, the manufacture of very large quantities of candles at home in our own country. Failing that, I ask him if he will take steps to import sufficient candles—if he cannot get the paraffin oil—to overcome the difficulty I have mentioned in the city of Dublin. It may not be known to the House that the Gas Company is not in a position to take on new customers. The electric light undertaking is not in a position to do so either, and they have asked for at least a 25 per cent. reduction in consumption. This terrible danger has been noticed in Dublin during the last couple of weeks.

There may be a rush on the stock of candles. I would not mention this at all had I not seen a rush on candles already in stock. In one street candle prices went up within 48 hours from 2/- a lb. to 3/6. That is an appalling state of affairs for our people in this city. I know that other members can speak of the difficulties of the country. I ask the Minister if he will take steps immediately—if it were possible, to do it to-morrow morning—to arrange the price of candles already in stock and see that there is no additional charge on the people because of the scarcity. How the Minister will do it I have not the slightest knowledge, but I think some warning should be given that there shall be no increase in prices and that those who are already provided with gas or electricity should not buy the candles that are in the city at the present moment. They may make them more scarce by doing so.

I mentioned the question of lighting by coal and by fire-grates and the little light in the tenement quarters. That matter of fuel was touched on to-day and I do not intend to go into it in detail at all, but it is appalling to think, in six or eight weeks from now, as I said before, as well as having empty fire-grates and empty lamps, the people will have empty candlesticks also. I ask the Minister to let the House know of any programme he may have in regard to this matter.

I would like to tell the Minister that I have my own experience on this matter. I understand the Minister is just as keen to rectify this state of affairs as I am. Things are rather serious as far as the poor people in the cities are concerned. I noticed an incident in Cork about a fortnight ago when a cargo of coal came in. The merchant in question, undoubtedly, gave coal to the poor people, but other merchants would only supply those who were registered with them. The merchant who gave out his coal had to call on the Guards for a few days afterwards.

This debate is confined to kerosene and candles.

I thought I would mention coal at the same time.

Deputy Byrne was debarred from doing so. Deputies had an opportunity of discussing the fuel position to-day.

I am sorry. I have seen a similar situation with regard to paraffin oil. The footpath outside a shop which was selling paraffin oil was crowded by people waiting to get a supply and a Guard had to keep order. The traffic was held up. If those scenes were to continue, they might develop in a serious way and the sooner the position is dealt with the better. While we all recognise the difficulties, the sooner we deal with these matters and introduce some method of controlling the supply to these poor people, the better we shall be able to deal with them as time goes on.

Some Deputies may not be aware that in parts of rural Ireland there has not been a candle for two months. That is not the Minister's fault and I do not see the point of making representations to the Minister unless one can make suggestions as to how the hardships can be mitigated. There are, I understand, six ships on our register, some of which will reach this country soon. I understand that the Minister attaches prime importance to the cargoes of wheat which these ships are to bring but there are certain commodities, amongst which I put paraffin wax, of which one cargo would be sufficient for 12 months' supply and I deliberately suggest to the Minister that, in regard to one mixed cargo, consisting of things like paraffin wax, anaesthetics and things of comparatively modest bulk, a cargo of which would give us about 12 months' supply, we should, if necessary, forego one week's supply of wheat, which would be about 6,000 tons, and make up our minds that there are certain things such as paraffin wax which we must bring from the U.S.A. as urgently as wheat. I should be glad if the Minister would tell us what are our annual requirements of paraffin wax in the form of candles within the restricted scheme and whether one cargo would not bring to us sufficient paraffin wax for the candles we require or sufficient, at least, to provide one candle for every kitchen or tenement room where the circumstances require it.

Dr. Hannigan rose.

Three Deputies have already spoken and the Minister should be given time in which to reply.

I merely want to ask the Minister when he became aware of the shortage of raw materials for the manufacture of candles and what steps, if any, he has taken since to deal with the shortage.

Deputy Byrne will understand that other members of this House are fully aware of the inconvenience which a shortage of these two commodities— candles and paraffin oil—means to household which are not equipped for the utilisation of electricity or gas for illumination purposes, and that we are all as anxious as he is to remedy that position—if it is possible to remedy it. There is not much use in Deputy Byrne, or other Deputies, asking me to import materials for the manufacture of candles, or to import paraffin oil to make good the deficiency now existing. I shall import them if I can. The question is whether it will be possible to do so, and I can only inform the House of what the prospects are, because there can be no certainity that any arrangements made for the importation of any commodity will, in fact, work out successfully.

In answer to Deputy Hannigan, the shortage of paraffin wax began when the British Government decided they would sell no more to us. From that period until now no paraffin wax has been imported from Great Britain, nor has it been possible to import any paraffin wax from elsewhere because of the absence of shipping facilities to countries other than the United Kingdom. Because of the imminence of a shortage, arrangements were made with the candle manufacturers to conserve existing stocks. We standardised the production of candles to the maximum possible extent, eliminating the manufacture of certain types of candles altogether in order to make the best use of the available stocks. The manufacture of candles was restricted to 50 per cent. of the normal output, and that restriction upon deliveries by manufacturers to their customers has now been in operation for some months. The full effect of the restriction was not felt by consumers because stocks in the hands of traders were finding their way into consumption. These stocks have, presumably, become exhausted now. We have investigated the possibility of substituting native tallow for imported materials used in the manufacture of candles and the manufacturers are agreed that while it would not be possible for them to produce an all-tallow candle, they can use tallow in substitution for imported materials to an extent ranging from 20 per cent. to 50 per cent. according to the type of the candle. Arrangements for that substitution are at present in operation. The existing stocks of candles, or of materials for the manufacture of candles, in the hands of manufacturers are sufficient to meet about two months' normal consumption. On the basis of the existing restrictions on deliveries, that supply will keep production going for four months.

The normal production of candles in this country requires the importation of 3,650 tons of paraffin wax per annum. Other materials than paraffin wax are required in lesser quantities—but required nevertheless. Having regard to the existing restriction on the sale of paraffin for household purposes, the demand for candles would, if it could be satisfied, be far in excess of the normal. Arrangements are being made for the shipment of a quantity of paraffin wax by neutral vessels to the port of Lisbon, whence it is hoped to transport it in Irish owned vessels to this country. The earliest date by which these arrangements could produce a sufficient quantity of paraffin wax to affect production here would be towards the end of October. It is exceedingly difficult to expedite these arrangements, having regard to the difficulty of procuring space in ships to Lisbon, the difficulty of procuring storage in Lisbon and the restricted shipping facilities we can make available for the transport of goods from Lisbon.

I do not want to discuss at any length Deputy Dillon's suggestion that wheat cargoes should be substituted by cargoes of paraffin wax and other commodities in short supply. It is very easy to decide in prospect to do without some commodity when there is no shortage of it at the moment in order to get supplies of another commodity of which there is a shortage but I think the fundamentally sound policy is to make sure of our wheat position before utilising any of the shipping space at our disposal for the importation of other goods. I think our wheat position is such that we can utilise the Lisbon route entirely for the importation of goods other than wheat but it is an expensive method of importation. There are not merely considerable difficulties in operating it but there are very considerable risks involved which somebody has to carry and private interests are sometimes reluctant to take these risks without an assurance that the shipping accommodation required for transportation from Lisbon can be made available very shortly after the arrival of cargoes in that port.

That is the position. Nothing can be done that I know of to remedy it. We have a sufficient number of candles in the hands of manufacturers and a sufficient stock of materials for the manufacture of candles in the hands of manufacturers to maintain a 50 per cent. production for four months. By the end of four months we may, if we are fortunate, have succeeded in bringing in from America supplies of materials sufficient to improve the position.

So far as kerosene is concerned, nothing can be done. The quantity of kerosene which we can import is not under our control. It depends entirely on the facilities which the oil companies can place at our disposal. The existing stock of kerosene in the country is sufficient to provide the requirements of harvesting machines. I think all Deputies will agree that it is essential that the kerosene required for the operation of tractors and harvesting machines should be made available so that the harvest will not be lost. It was in order to ensure that a sufficient stock of kerosene for the requirements of the harvest would be available that it was necessary to take the very drastic step of restricting deliveries to traders selling paraffin for household purposes. When the harvesting operations are completed, or when those operating harvesting machines have had delivered to them a sufficiency of kerosene to enable them to complete these operations, and if supplies arrive in the meantime, it will be possible to resume deliveries of kerosene to traders for sale for domestic purposes on some restricted basis. I cannot guarantee that supplies will arrive. We have reason to think they will, but the situation has become so uncertain that there can be no guarantee that they will come. Supplies of all petroleum products have been very irregular and uncertain for a number of weeks past, and unless the oil companies are able to make good the deficiences in their delivery programme in the very near future, there will be a really serious situation not merely in respect of paraffin but in respect to all petroleum products.

The price of candles is fixed. I cannot say offhand what the price is, but it is fixed at so much per lb., and if Deputy Byrne finds that overcharges are taking place for candles on the part of particular traders, if he will give me the names of traders I shall see that the necessary legal proceedings are taken. Reference has been made to the possibility of introducing a rationing scheme for candles and kerosene. I do not want to say that it is impossible to ration one or other of these commodities, but Deputies who speak lightly of the introduction of a rationing scheme had better understand that it is not at all an easy thing to operate. So far as I know, no country has succeeded in devising a satisfactory scheme for rationing commodities of that kind, commodities which are used by a minority of households. Clearly if you fix a flat rate per head, everybody will avail of the ration and it will have to be fixed at a very low level, much lower than would be possible if you could confine the distribution of these commodities to those who really need them. On the other hand, the preparation of a list of households where candles and kerosene are essential because of the absence of other means of lighting would involve a house-to-house inspection of the country which would have to be resumed periodically, which could not be undertaken without very elaborate organisation and which would take a very long time. My officers are trying to work out some system of controlling distribution so as to ensure that a supply will be available where that supply is a necessity, even if the scheme we can devise will not be completely foolproof or knave-proof. I cannot at this stage say whether we shall be successful in devising such a scheme. If any Deputy has ideas to offer as to how a system of rationing, or rather how a system of controlling the distribution of candles and kerosene can be worked out, I shall be very glad to receive their ideas. I confess myself that the difficulties which appear inherent in perfecting such a scheme are very great and I have not been able to see my way clearly through them. The very best I, or any officer in my service, can do is to devise a system which might work out with a 50 per cent. degree of accuracy—certainly not more than that.

What about allocating oil for lamps on the basis of every Land Commission receivable order?

That, of course, does not get over the difficulty with which Deputy Byrne is concerned—the city difficulty. It is, of course, possible to work out a system which would require a great deal of time to operate or a very large number of officers to make effective. Any such system cannot be adopted at present as it would not be practicable to devise it within a reasonable time. The position is that an attempt is being made to work out a rationing system. A rationing system does not mean that there will be supplies and a rationing scheme, of course, will be ineffective unless supplies are available. So far as supplies are concerned I hope that we shall be able to resume the delivery of kerosene to traders for sale for domestic purposes during the month of September. So far as candles are concerned supplies are available for a 50 per cent. distribution during the next few months and we hope to continue these supplies for a further period if we can import the necessary quantity of paraffin wax from America.

There is just one further question——

The Minister has had to deal already with questions from four Deputies. It is now two minutes to eleven and he cannot be expected to reply to further questions.

The Dáil adjourned at 10.58 p.m. until Wednesday, 23rd July, at 3 p.m.

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