LONDON A STUDY IN LIGHT AND SHADE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5329, 15 February 1947, Page 5

LONDON A STUDY IN LIGHT AND SHADE

(Press Assn —

PARTIAL BLACKOUT europe feels effects after cold weather

-Rec. 9.30

LONDON, oFeb. 14. London was a study in light and shade as it returned to the vigours of the partiai wartime Ldackout. The authorities have decided that lights in the city!s -treets will be lit only at inter•.ections and points where the ^olice think lack of illumination v.ould be a danger to pedestrians. The majority of side---treets are already fully blacked out. The Westminster City Couneil announced that the West End would' be included in the darkened area, but early to-night Piecadilly and the 'heatre area were still brightly illuminated. Repcrts from suburbs • oveal that thoroughfares there , are vithout lights. Nevertheless the fourth day of Britain's hattle for coal brought the •ncouraging news that the movement > i coal by rail and sea has begun' again and the critical drop in stocks" 'uis been arrested. Ships carrying 250,000 tons of "oal have left north-east British uorts since Tuesdav for the south, vhile a Ministry of Transport ofh--ial stated that 100,000 tons of coal .vas en route to London by rail. Passenger Trains Deleted To ensure full pri.ority for coal, •ailwav comjjanies continue to de•eto important passenger trains ''rom their schedules. For instance, the "Yorkshire Pullman" hetween King's Cross and Hull has been withdrawn. and the daily express between King's Cross and Newcastle will be i un on Fridays only. The authorities have directed coal merchants to clear waggons at the depots within 24 hours. The fuel c-risis continues to in--rease unemployment. The Bristol Aeroplane Company. announced that 't had given 15,000 employees a week's notice, and in Leicester alone ii is assessed that by Mo-nday there will lu? 80,000 unemployed. Banks are having difficulty in supolving copper and silver coins because the Mint, which has stopped oporations, has ceased supplying them. Continent Also Suffering Temperafures all over Britain this fteruoon varied between 27 and 30 degrces Fahrenheit — about the same •••• vesterday. Freezing weather combined with the coal shortage has brought a good part of Industrial Europe to a halt, says the Associated Press in I ?. round-up of reports from the Continent's capital cities. * Low stocks of fuel have forced a hlackout in Amslerdam. Czechoslovakia canie near crisis when deep drifts oi' snow closed the railway arteries. The Belgian Gcvernment announced that delivery of the month 's domestic coal ration was not possible till the end of February. German and Austrian industry is L'lmost completely shut down. Berlin electricity officials said the power stations, which had been rationing oowei- between the districts since December, had no-w ahnost no coal. Hamburg power stations are able to supply electricity for only two hours a day and the city's sluation is described as catastrophic. The British Control Commission in the Puhi- warned that continuous fiosts had done so much damage that nearly all autumn-planted crops were spoiled and would have to be re"lanted in the spring. Five tobacco fii-ms have ceased production because of the power culs and wholesalers predict a shortagv of cigarettes.