Thousands Will Be Idle Next Week

Chronicle (Levin), 6 November 1948, Page 5

Thousands Will Be Idle Next Week

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter,

Plans To Meet N.S.W„ Coal Strike

Copyrlght).

.' Received Friday, 9.50 p.m. t T . ' ! = - . . - SYDNEY, November 5. Tn,clnstfy in New Sou.tTi AYales is to be allowed ihe nse of power \ only o'n fhip.*sdays and Friday?. of eaeh week and domestic eonsumers and others will b.e- lieavily restrieted upder a plan made • neeessary by the eoal strike and approved by the State Cabinet'today.' • • The ban pn the. use oi power, whieh applies immediately, will paralyse industry and eause widespread unemployment and loss of millions of pounds in wages. I11 the metal trade alone 100,000 will be out oi woi'k immediately and industrialists estimate that 250,000 Workers will be idle in Sydney, Neweastle and Port Kembla by the middle of next week. The restrietions apply to both gas and electricity. Power for domestic purposes has been restrieted to three short periods claily to allow meals to be cooked. The heating of water in storage tanks, bath heaters, sink heaters and other appliances, is prohibited as is the use of power for such purposes as advertising signs, lighting of sports gi'ounds, radiators and the external lighting of theatres and other places of public entertainment. A penalty of £500 is provided for a breach of the regulations. Large city stores and rnost theatres have emergency power systems and will not be badly affected but hotels and restaurants will be hard hit as their eooking hours have been restrieted. Fear has been expi'essed by members of the State Oabinet that unless the (fovernment moves qu,ickly, the strike will spread to the Waterside "Workers' Federation and Ironworkers' Union. .The general presidetft- of the Miners' Federation, Mr. I. "\Yilliams, and the general secretary. Mr. G. "YY. S. Grant made a snrprise visit to the State- Cabinet this afternoon when Cabinet was considering the plan for theanost stringent restrietions. The miners' offieials were immediately taken to see the Acting Premjer, Mr. Tladdeley. Production from all departments at the Neweastle steelworks is expeeted to be cut out within a few days. The railway restrietions niean that within ten days less than half the beef and two-thirds the lamb quota will be available. Supplies of beer have been cut off to the coalfields. Beeause of the kek of malt from Vietoria, all'the beer supply will eease within three weeks. Heavv saies are reported in kerosene and spirit stoves.