COAL SUPPLIES

Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 12

COAL SUPPLIES

BUILDING UP STOCKS BRITISH PREPAREDNESS Mr D. R. Grenfell, Minister of Mines, has revealed an astonishing position that followed the capitulation of France. More than 750,000 tons of coal were on their way there or partially discharged at the time. In his name, as Minister of Mines, all that coal was promptly bought. Some 250 ships were on their way to France fully or partially laden with coal. The cargoes were brought back and discharged in all kinds of places, some of them little places that had not seen a ship for a hundred years. The coal was wheeled off them jn barrows over planks.

Arrangements have been made for stocking 20,000,000 tons of coal before the shorter days and winter black-out descends, and to relieve the situation in the industry caused by lost export markets. Large stocks will be held by the Government, public utility companies and railways will hold their share, and every domestic cellar will be a storehouse.

In order to obviate transport diffioultise and avoid long journeys when it was needed coal is being stocked near the principal places of consumption. The domestic consumer, Mr Grenfell says, can stock a little bit of coal for himself in no safer place than his own coalhouse. In a climate like that of Great Britain, under conditions of war, in winter time there was no-more healing antidote than the blaze of a comfortable fire.