BRITAIN'S COAL CRISIS

Chronicle (Levin), 1 March 1947, Page 5

BRITAIN'S COAL CRISIS

Press Assn.

, Govemment SHU Grappling With ProMera

By Telegravh

rOovyright

Keeeived Friday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Feh. 27. As the third week of Britain 's coal .-.risis draws to a close the Government ■s stilt grappling with the probiem of ,-volving a policy to conserve and build ip stocks during the summer sufficient .o tide her over noxt winter. Tlie Manchester Guardian, applaudiiig Hir /StaJford Cripps ; speech in the .tou.se of Oonimons on the fuel position emarked that the Government is movng grauualiy towards a sounder palicy uit it added that Sir Stafford was not . et alile to given even an outiine of the policy. . Several points, however, are now lear. Britain is to have a coal liudget .n addition to iinancial and manpower Budgets. Domestic users are to be rationed ind are no longer to be given p'refer--nce over industry. To spare the worn nit plaut at power stations, which will • ake From two years to three years to renew, one-third of tlie country 's indus ry will probably have to go on night work. So much is accepted as part of he Government 's policy, though its plan for -vvholesale night work has not /et been received for the industry 's approval and no decision may be reach ■d before tlie middle of Mareh. Opposition Expected. There is likely to be much opposition from several quarters particularlv as it is pointed out that night work wib ;ave no coal. IIow to get the coal necessary to re -tore industrial activity to its ma-ximuni potential during the reniainder of the vear and to build up stocks to avoid another c, risis next year is the main probiem facing tlie country. Its solution is regarded witli reserve and some an xie'ty. The Government 's coal target for tliis year;as announced in the recent White Paper is 200,000,000 tons. This is felt in nianv quarters to be too mod est. It is pointed out that last year Britain used 194,000,000 tous, including 5,000,000 drawn from stock. The White Baper figures niean that Britain would add some 0,000,000 tons. to her stock. Fivaday Week Question. rf tliis target is regarded witliout enihtisiasni so is tlie Government 's rei Oi nned decision to intro'duce a five-day week in the coal mines as from May. Phis, says tlie Daily Telegraph, mdans "a practical certainty that the 200, ' 00,000 tons won 't be' reached and far less exceeded," and the Manchester Guardian says that its introduction is i rcmiudcr "tlial wd are still in the unds of (he miners." The extent to which Britain is in the hands of the miners is pointed out by 'he Iivening Standard. Commenting >n Mr. Attlee's eongfatulations to the miners on Ihcir production of 4,055,000 • ons of coal last week, it savs " on the 'msjg of a six-dav week that is about ')7(),000 tons a ilay. The total savings in coal consumption since the restric ' ions began is -120,927 tons. 8o the in ■redible fact emerges that industrv has been stopped for a fortnight, 2, .'>00, 000 neople put out of work, the whole nat•on disorganised, and tlie export. trade dealt a sliattering blow for ihe sake of wo-thirds of a daV 's output of coal. "Corps EJite" Whether the mines will produce more than the White Paper target is problematical. It will depend on the miners and their support for the Government and it is clear that the Government is regarding them as a " corps elite. " The Minister of Fuel (Mr. Rhinwell) has deelared: "For full production the main prerequisite is that we should gain tlie support, friendship, and goodwill of the miners. Moreover we must be prepared to provide and add the necessary incentives to the miners." It is clear that Mr. Arthur Horner, 'he secretarv of the National Fnion of Mine Workers yvhose position is in-'-reasingly being compared with that of Mr. .lohn -L. Eewis in America, is de: lermined to secure the maxinium "in--entives" from the Government. He lias stated that £7 a week is necessary to keep a family today, and it is ' hough t that he may ask Mr. Attlee for fhat figure to be regarded as the mini'mim wage for miners. At present the mininium wage is £5 for underground workers and £4 10s for workers above the ground. ' ' Higher Wages Necessary' ' Mr. TTorner declares that the payment of higher wages is the only way to recruit 35,000 pit-wTorkers, and he says there must also be the highest priority for miners' houses and less taxation. More consumer goods are also wanted :n the mining areas. Britain 's coal policy, it is felt, is verv mnch in Mr. Horner 's hands at the moment. Tn addition to its direct effects on .industry, it also seems Jikelv that the coal crisis may have some effect upon Britain 'g agriculture. An extension of the single summer time o'f one hour for nine weeks longer Ihan the usual period and the return to the war-tinie measure of donble summer time of two hours will add further •omnlicatioiis to the British farmer, wliose crops are going to be tate due fo Gie severe winter. One possible re sult is that the later hours the farmers will be obliged to keep will have their "ff'ed upon agrieultural labour, already in short supply, and may increase ab senteeism during harvest time. Nevertheless, despite these eomplications, the farmers have assured the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Williams) that thev ■•ecognise the national situation and wi I] not press their objections. The effect of Britain 's severe winter •ind her coal' crisis, it seems clear, ig ••oing to be felt in every walk of life througjiout this year and perliaps next "ear Though her clocks have been put forward as part of an attempt to ease her difficulties, tlie metaphorical clock of British recovery lias been put back. for an indefinite period and none can sa.y at the moment wlien it will be brouglit forward again. I