Member of British Board Resigns

Chronicle (Levin), 15 May 1948, Page 3

Member of British Board Resigns

i ' "LONDON, May 13. r.The Miniatry of Fuel and Power has ahnonnced tliat Sir Charles Reid has i^isigned from the National (Joal Board fqllowing a disagreement about the ifi-rangements the board is making to review the organisation. i Bir Charles Reid, in a statement, said: cyi rosigned because 1 have no con(|dfence " either in the board or the organisation it set ujj, ' ' He-said he saw flie tlien Minister (Mr. Bhinwell) on flarch 17 (a few weeks after the vesti(ng date) and ex(Yressed deep coneern Sn the metliods adopted for the control of the industry. He told the Minister that the management was unliappy,, uncertain of its position and the extent of its authoj'ity. Bix- Charles Reid added that this state of affairs eontinued and had become worse. In a letter to the National CoalBoard ehairman (Lord Hyndley) on November 6, 1947, he said. that without rodieal alteration from the Coal Board downward, both of control and personhel, the nationalisation of mines would prove a disastrous failui-e. The letter said: "The present uninspired and juuubersome organisation" would not (produce tlie coal the country needed at Ii satis&rcf ory qxrice," cbuld hOt ellective- ■ ly clfeMc productiqn costs or- deal with hiKffscipline. (s ' jri S'ir Charles Reid emphaslsed tliat he 4elieved Btate ownership of the coal in'dustry was neeessary to achieve full "technical reconstructioi}, but it must be It'ounded on 'sbund business principles. In a sjjeech ou April .17 he eriticiseri the number of dispules in the coal in dustry. Tlie Scottish miners on April 27 called the speech an " un justifiable dltaek^' . fUidL.deijianded Bir Charles Reid's witlid rawai ( oi' the statemeiu. fMr. Gaitslielf-has appointed Sir Geoffrfcy Vii-kers to iill the vacancy on the Coai Board.