MORE COAL LOST THAN SAVED

Chronicle (Levin), 26 June 1946, Page 8

MORE COAL LOST THAN SAVED

Received Tuesday, 9.10 p.m. SYDNEY, June 25. While desperate efforts are being made to conserve coal, today 's Joss ITonr strikes of 8230 tons is the heaviest on one day for movc than a inonth. Seven mines were idle because of indnstrial disputes, the eoal loss being thirty times the daily saving by the Syd--ney and Ncwcastlc restrictions. The Minister of Supply, Senator Ashley, said today that the Bunnerong powerhouse was too small for the eity 's requirements whieh called for 325,000 kilowatts whereas Bunnerong's maximum capacity was 275,000. While the power and transport restrictions in Sydney yestcrday saved about 250 tons of coal, three northern mines lost 450Q tons through strikes. Anstralia's biggest niine, at Burwood, which produees 3000 tons a day, was idle because the mipers demanded an extra bus to the mine. The coal lost in. strikes yesterday would have provided . suffieient power to keep Sydney 's trams and eleetrie trains rmining for. three days. Mr. Chifley conferred last night with the union offieials 011 the tram and train restrictions and told them that the Federal Gov-

ernment had alrea'dy ordered an investigation into the coal holdings in all States. The transport restrictions in operation and those which eommence nest weekend are estimated to save about 1000 tpns pf coal a week. ' Though* 110 immediate action regarding private users is contemplated, the supply authorities say that additional electricity, rationing is imperative and gas 'rationing appears inevitable. , From next weekend the trams. will not run in Sydney and Newcastle after 2 p.m. 011 Saturday until the norm'al starting time on Monday morning. The Minister of Transport (Mr. O'Sullivan) said the required 25 per cent. electricity saving had pot been effected by the deletion of the trams last Sunday and the reduction of ofLpeak running. The bus services would run as usual during the weekend and t]ie timetables would be rearranged fo follow as closely as possible the normal tram routfes. The secretary of the Australian Railways Union (Mr. J, Ferguson, M.L.C.) said that, unl-ess steps were taken to avoid a repetition of the dangerous congestion caused by raeegoers on Saturday, . the railwaymen might refuse to run any trains "on Saturdays during the restriction of services. He addecl that it was better to lose trains than lives.