FLAMETHROWERS TO CLEAR SNOW

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5327, 13 February 1947, Page 5

FLAMETHROWERS TO CLEAR SNOW

I (Pm*> 'Ami.—

O summer-time prospect CANDLES GO OUT AS . LIGHTS GO ON

■Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

I,/ LONDON, Feb. 12. I Cabinet is considering Ihe I employmenf of military flameI ihrowers to clear a way I through snowbound Britain so I that coal supplies can be en- . I sured, says Reuter. The | Army, INavy and Air Force | have been warned to be ready I (o give whatever assistance I may be required with trucks, I iractors and other military I vehicles. The Navy may use I escort vessels to help eoastal I shipping bring supplies, and I auxiliary vessels to free iceI bound canals l'or the coal I barges. 1 ReuterV lohhyist says the Cabinet Imay den ie >onn to exteiul the domcsItic electricity rats to the whole counItiy, ineludhig Si-otland. Spreading |the domestir rats thus would mean a Ibig saving in electricity consumption leven if the hig industrial users reIniained unaffeeted. I The Uini.ster of Food, Mr. Strachey, I said to-day that he *did not think the Ifiiel crisi.s wimld last long enough to I necessiwte food ration cuts or short- i lages. R Ihe reintroduction of double | summer-) hue was being considered, I said Sir (Juy Not-Bower, departI rnental seeretary of the Fuel MinI istry. He added that a continuation^ I of summer-time throughout next K winter would have to be considered B very carefully. I Snow aii-1 ititterly low temperatures 1 in many parts of Europe have disloKcated trav.spoi t, held up food supplies ■and cliigged the wheels oi industry. ■Airliners were grounded all over ■Europe, and no planes left London's ■Conrinental airport, Northolt. ■ All Traffic Halted in Norfolk ■ Ihe heaviest snowfall for many Byears halted all traffic in Norfolk. ■ Several to'.vns and seores of villages ■ara isola ted. K The freezinc; of the German inland Bwatenvay- ha- deprived Hamburg of ■coal, and »U>n.i)O0 tons of wheat and ■lour at Rvvwm cannot be moved be■cause of iraffh dislocation. ■ In anii"U!u'ir:U' that 22,550 tons of ■coal were savtsi in the restricted areas ■yesterday, oi jier cent. of the previ■ous daily consumption, the British BHinistry of Fuel said it was doubtul ■if the coal -av'ing yesterday had much ■piproved the stock position in power ■stations in the restricted areas. ■ Better deliveries and reduced con■suniptioii •rere still not assured. Mffarnintr.- had therefore, been issued ■hui! puhlic supply undertakings in Htte areas n»»t now affected that the Bestrictions might he extended to the Hfflole couiitiy, excludin.tr the North of M&otland. B Power stations had barely held Htheir own. and it was evident that Hd>e publie yesterday was not cb- ■ servinn; the instructions as weTl as H°n Monday.

B Manufacturers Alarmed J B The prod a •tion of coal this week for ! ■Npl.v to l ower stations next week ! ■sould he iiir.dcred still more if severe { ^■feather nui'inued. The weather still : Mpitked iv.ad deliveries. ■ The National Union of AlanufacKhrers issued a statement saying j ^■'heunicn was "seriously alarmed at ^■'he prospect before industry." j ^■hearly all the 1000 firms and ! ^■^ons represented had been forced J ■ ' close dov. n. ^■The union called upon the Govern- i ^■®it to con.-ult industry as to the j mean- of preventing a recur- j of tiu* present ealamitous situa- : ^B^e National Council of the engin- i and allied trades shop stewissued a statement demanding J ■P- all workers whom the crisis 1 ^■ected should be paid a full week's ^■ary- Wherc this was not conceded lvorkei' should go in a body to ^BGabour cxchange. Southern Raiway announced ^B^ancellation 0f (50 suburban trains. housands of oandles and oil lamps ^Bre extinguished at 4 p.m. as the blackout encled and electricity used again. An army oi" hnician.s began collecting data Power station meters to estiB!' savings made. ^B h°usands queuecl at employment ^^Bhanges throughout the country to ^^P>ls!er for unemployment benefit. Ministry of Fuel official an^■pnced at an afternoon press conf er^af the position was still critiBe said it was hoped that the ^^■7C would not eonfine electricity ^B!jn^ to the restricted period. e adedd that the gasworks posi^^P^as critical. Any attempt to over to gas might produce a gas

^B " Trades Union Council issued a saying that before the eness of the plan to redtice the_ ^^B^Ption of coal for industrial use H assessed the present arctic eSan and considerably reduced ^KjutPut and distribution of coal. though the position is, the 1 general council is confident ^■.®reanised workers will meet the ^BB'^th steadiness," said the state-