Economic Dunkirk Evokes Same Old Spiirt

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

Economic Dunkirk Evokes Same Old Spiirt

LONDON, February 12. The Baltic's icy blast svvept back to Southern England to-night and brought London's temperature to 26 degrees Fahrenheit at 8 p.m., seven degrees lower than at the same time Jast r.ight. One hundred aiuT fifty men dug through a 15ft. wall of snow near I.outh, Lincolnshire, to clear the line for passengers, including six babies, stranded for 20 hours withort light or heat in a London-bound train. The Portland (Oregon) crew of flie British steamer Hartington struckr demanding that 10,000 tons of coal in the cargo loaded there for Singapore he diverted to England. The crew's spokesman said: "England should get every bit of aid we can give her." An official of the United States National Maritime Union said his union would support the strike. The British Consul and the ship's agent arranged to eonfer with the ship's captain.

Describing Stock Exchange reaction to the fuel emergency as "remarkably restrained," Reuters financial editor says that home industrial | shares lost an average of 2i per cent. I which was not a sensational fluctuaI tion. i There was nothing remotely dej scribable as heavy unloading. The j Stock Exchange seems to have proj vided an accurate barometer of j national l'eeling. This being an j economic Dunkirk, it brings out something of the Dunkirk spirit. The lost production percentage is about equal to that from one of the great Americnn strikes of 1946, and Britain is feeling for once a crisis which in most Continental countries «has become commonplace. The week's direct cut in output and national income, taken over the whole year, may be hardly more than one-half per cent., but the indirect effects in spreading and ag:gravating • hottlenecks should not be minimised. Several important Manchester firms acting on the advice of the Manchester and Distriet Engineering Employers' Association, have given

notice to their employees termmatmg the guaranteed week of 34' hours in view of the uncertainty as to when production can be resumed, says the Daily Telegraph. The -decision affects about 100,000 employees. , The Fuel Ministry has banned the manufacture of biscuits and sweets hy electricity until the cuts end. " Telegrams, mostly from^Labour organisations, are pouring* into the House of Commons for IVfc r. Shinwell, encouraging him to stand firm and insisting that he must not resign in any circumstances, and expressing ^ the strongest hostility to any coalition Government.