BRITISH COAL MINES MAKE GOOD COMEBACK

Chronicle (Levin), 7 November 1947, Page 5

BRITISH COAL MINES MAKE GOOD COMEBACK

Received Thursday, 9 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 6. , British miners last week produced 4,090,000 tons o€ coal, the best output since May 3 and the third occasion in recent weeks on which the 4,000,000 tons mark has been passed in five days' work. This brought the total coal output for the year to 163^752,200 tons compared with 158,800,100 tons>during the same period the previous year. As the result of this increase in output, hopes of reaching the Government's target of 200,000,000 tons

for the year are reviving though a great effort will he necessary during the remaining eight weeks if it is to be achieved. One of the most cheerful aspects of the situation is that stocks in hand at power stations and gasworks are nearly twice as high as at this time last year. Electricity undertakings have now a six weeks' reserve supply in hand and gas undertakings five weeks. Last year both industries had only a little over three weeks' supply at the end of October. Railway stocks are also nearly double last year's reserves though they are still considered dangerously low. The iron and steel trade has nearly three and a half weeks' supply and engineering industries nearly . seven weeks, The situation has. been further improved hy economies which have brought about a fall of 3,000,000 tons in the co-iumer demand since Mr. Shinwell made his estimate that 200,000,000 tons would be required for 1947. Altogether the distributed stocks of coal in the country are 5,148,000 tons more than they were at the end of October, 1946. Industrial correspondents consider this substantial improvement in the stock position has made the possibil- ' ity of another industrial switch oft during the winter reniote. j