French Trouble Makers Suspended

Chronicle (Levin), 1 November 1948, Page 5

French Trouble Makers Suspended

(N.Z.P.A.-

-ReuteTi

Hopes Of An End To Coal Strike Decrease

Covyright)

Received Monday, 10.15 a.m. PARIS, Oct. 11. The French Ministry of Industry has suspended the secretarygeneral of the Communist-led Miners' Federation, M. Victorih Duguet, the secretary of the federation, M. Celestm Bias, and the secret&fy-general of the Railwaymen's Federation, M. Raymond Tourneijiaihe, from their posts oh the French National Coal Board. ' The Ministry accused the two miners' offieials .of liaving appealed to the miners to discontinue the safety services in the mines. ■ M; Tourhemaihe had already been siiSpehded from the dir'ectorghip pf the French railways becatlse of his appeal to railwaymen to stop trains earrying imported coal. M, Marcel Combe, Mayor of the Firminy strike trouble centre, neat St. Etienne, in the Loire coalfield, has been removed from his post by ordef of the Ministry Of the Inter^' ior, which stated that M. Combe I had had a pOster priiited ahd dis^1 played "contaihing defamatory impiitations against the Government."

Hopes that new price cUts in meat, fish, clothing, wine and other items would end the strike de^ creased today wheii the. secretary^ general of the non-Communist Federation of Labou'r, M. Johhaux," said that the reductions still ieft tOo ' gfeat a diff erence between WageS and prices. i Butter Is almost non-existent for I

French housewives except in the biack market, and will be rationed to abOUt 10£ ozs. monthly from tomorrpw. It is now clear that the French GOVerhmefit has in effect won the battle for the pitheads and a trial of strength with the Communist Party is being waged in the ports, says Reuter's Paris correspondeht. PoliCe and trobps have completed •the occupation of 80 pef cent of the idle coal mines and control iiaif in the greatest trouble area in the north. , More than 4,000,000 tons have been lost.in 26 days of the strike. The Government has severely cut passeriger train schedules to help couhter the loss. «. French troops have begUn unloading tWO British coal ships at Rouen. The British United Press' Paris correspondent says the Prime Mmister, M. Queuille, and chief ecohOmid advisers mdt represenfatives of the employers and nonCornmunist labour unions in a roiihd table conference aimed .at fixmg a new balance betwefen pnces and wages. A communique lssued after the conferende said the Government refused to cohsider ah ihcrease ih wages beyond the 15 per Ceht grahted ih Septembeh The GdVernmeht's fihancial advisers insisted that any further general mcrease would undermihe the pamfully achieved balahcihg of this year's budget.