POSITION IN BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 17, 15 October 1943, Page 6

POSITION IN BRITAIN

Statement By Mr. Churchill

(British Oflicial Wireless.) . RUGBY, October 13. Mr. Churchill, in a surprise move, decided on the resumption of the coal debate in the House of Commons. This vyas because of the swelling volume of criticism from the Labour Party, many members of which consider that nationalization is the only solution, but the Labour Party met just before the debate and decided not to vote against the Government. Mr.- Churchill, intervening in. the debate, said that only 50,000 tons of coal had been lost in the last 12 months by strikes out of upward of 200,000,000 tons produced. This loss compared very favourably with last year, and other comparisons might be drawn outside this country. Even taking all absenteeism into account, there was no loss, of tonnage this year more than last. “AVe,must not under-rate the strain on the miners,” he added. “Their average age has increased ; food is less stimulating and less varied; miners do not get the holidays of leisure for their exceptionally arduous calling allowed in the past during the summer. They are now pressed to work as hard or harder in . the summer to pile up coal for the winter, and make good the needs of war. AVages have advanced more than 50 per cent., against an increase in rhe cost of living of 30 per cent. Outcrop Coal Supplies.

“Next year the miners will have the aid of outcrop coal produced by surface work, amounting to 10,000,000 to 15,000,000 tons. Provided everyone does his duty to the utmost we are in. no danger of a collapse of coal production. This' island is running on a very high level with good rhythm, and if we can only keep our momentum —we cannot increase the pace—the very fact will enable us to outclass our enemies, possibly even our friends.” Mr. Churchill said that the Minister ot Fuel had full power to take over the pits. He could make examples where obstruction or incompetence in management could be proved. It had certainly not been proved yet. ■Mr. Churchill said that unless we were relieved by an altogether unexpected collapse on the part of the enemy, “which we would be ’ absolute fools to count on,” the worst fighting, so far as the British people were concerned, lay ahead. Limited Comb-out Only. He refused to weaken the field forces or the manpower reserves which lay behind them, “except by a limited comb-out of older men.” Nor would he nationalize the mines without a mandate from the nation. Nationalization did not terrify him at all, and the principle was accepted by all, provided proper compensation was paid. Jt was a question of whether they would make a better business of the whole thing for the nation than by relying on private enterprise.- It would, however, raise a lot of differences and argument. It would be a tremendous business to nationalize the mines, and unless it could be proved to be the conviction of the House and of the country and to the satisfaction of the responsible Minister that it was the only way to win the war, they would not be justified in embarking upon it without a general election.