COLLIERS SPEED TO BREAK CRISIS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5330, 17 February 1947, Page 5

COLLIERS SPEED TO BREAK CRISIS

I (press Assn.-

COAL STOCKS. INCREASE • 1NTENSE COLD STILL * GRIPS ENGLAND I ,>

-Rec. 9.80 p.m.)

I v LONDON, Feb. 16. I ; Thirty-six more .coal sliips I ^Ye arrived in the Thames, I iirinRin.U' about 90,000 more I tons of coal for London. I IVenty more ships Ij^ve been I batiDw -heir way off the east • I ccast of England andwvere doe I jn ihe Thames" to-night. OfSI fials wiv fhat real progress I }ias been made towards ending I the roa! shortage but stocks I have only just begun to inI jjease agam. I Fifty .-Y.r>-- hulen with coal sailed up ■ tiie Thames ,>n Thursday and Friday. I Bgerynvy arrangements at the LonI fe tloc'is *') seeure the swift turnI aro::ifl dups may have smashed all I prc-vi'J.- Kvunls. I The e'al":-. have dropped and cofliers I wurlthc lij'hisn coasts are steaming I atton i in an all-out. effort to I anadi ihe uds. I Mi'si eolliers' supplies are I goia;" t„ !>">v»-r stations. I Hundreds of- railway coal wagons I -snoM bountl in the Midlands and the I north for a week have begun to | move sonthv, ard. Many more main I line pasM-nger trains have b^en canI celled to allow the uninterrupted I iow of coal.

■ The MbUiry of Fuel stated tfiat I ]a?t wcek'- tuai saving of coal was 1 112.30-1 "Although the position I is still veiy M'v'ums and stocks are far I telo'.v the ••afety level, a little more I groani ha> !»een gained," said the I Jfinytry. "The national effort to keep I the Vo'.vev -utions going is bringing I its first (lethiite result." I Coal reservcs in the gas work.s are I very L,v. The average supply over I the vrh.'lo . nuhtry is about 12 days. I Ir. bir.ijo!: "i i 10 days, and some I gaf 'AMvk- are down to four days. I Te:i:w'a'orcs are still below freezI h?poi»; in most parts of Britain. The I Boyal Air Fmve has cancelled operaI tior.s dr«p food supplies to the I sniveriir. people in isolated Staiford- ■ shire villages. as it is understood I wai'. c.'iinjr.H'deations are now open. I Afevh>en- after a ITalifax bomber I m&el ii: an attempt to parachute I supplies. ;■ the village of Butterton, I tfie frst tmctor loaded with food gol I thrmliti, 'he neighbouring village of I Lffieu ife iro Buston, which is six I siits atvay. I Tia \i:' ?Ii drstry reiterated lliat the I toi; ,!i]«i eontinne, although I ke te'pwnaen'c might rise temporI arily jf.M.vv f:ve*/.ing point in coastal I art'as. I The Uriti k ["nited Press' Berlin I carresvoa -ays 1 1 more deaths I fern cni.i i::i heen reported in the I last X ii '.rinftinfr the winter's I toi t i 3 i. Otto Ostrov/ski, Lord I Jlavor i,f !. • lin, tohi the Municipal I Assemhly : "TVe cannot master the I sitaatio:- ; lenu'er. We must ask I the Allie foi- relief." I The strn-'ule to beat the fuel I crisis ci'ntinued in Britain to-dav I with thoiNands of miners, railwavI ®en, and mad transport workers I sacrificinu (heir usual Sunday break. I h f • Siiuth Wales and several I other coal field areas, miners are I 'gnoiin^ a century-old traditien by I Soing do- i. »he pits on a Sunday. ■ There i- : i 1 1 no si»-n of a break I ttthe weather. Early this I ttornhia', I. : dcu's temperature was I ks dey: !•»•.. ; Iow freezinjr point, and I it soiKc r>a > ■ . of the Midlands the | teniperat. i • F mued durinj? the nig'ht 1 50 11 (ie-.'.me.-. udow freeziny point. I Wicsn Offer Of Aid I Mined By Mr. Attlee | ' LOXDON, February 15. I Attiee sent a messaye to PresiI ®t Tntinav: ayiny: "The need for I ®alin E'rio e is no less pressing than I 13 Britaiu. We could not ask that I ia^es Te d'verted to Britain." I y'. Attlf »* >ent the warmest appreI £ation of th- United States offer of I aia?tanee. I The Jlir.isiers and outside experts I "5 the Priiue Ministers' special coal I ^Hmittee are cndeavouring to arrive I J'an appropriate date for the switchI !®of electricity. Reports are ready I ®5ln? the committee the exact posiI reuard to railways, eolliers I J"a Potver stations. Nothing can be I -fttled detinitely while the bad I ,£a^er eontinues. I f '0rkers in bjtp industries may be I a threc-day week before they can ■ •^to nnrmal conditions, while full ■ ^uuiptior. may he possible in small B j^ries. Some areas where coal ■ have heen adequate may be able ■ f.tesume more fully. London, owing1 I tf5d^am'e Trom the coalfields, may I W] 1 °ther districts. Industry ■ 1 receive priority over domestic I ^ei's when the svvitch -on comes. I s i.'S ^et °arly to say whether the 1 1, Ts have weathered the storm. ■ J ^ftural consequence of the lowI dO11 British funds was the sharp I j. ®nS fiown of colonial aird DominI pA'°C^.s tn T't'ing them in line. I discussing Britain's coal I save' ?e York newspaper P.M., I a,!!' The (piestion is, how long can I Cnuntl"y maintain an armed I ftiit hmenl That consumes 10 per I j ' °T its total working population ? I %r S wTh Brit'ons, especially I lw 1 ccntinue to tolerate the I ^ of the Empire? I ha^Ure^' ('ocent Englishmen must I 8 e "eon struck by the fantastic I CCl° 100,000 able-bodied I Chmen en£aScd in preventing I tjn ra^]e refugees entering Pales- ■ &T Bome there are not ■ Pte! men T° dig coal. Britain's I Att]611^ Course> as plotted. by Mr. ■ 66 a,,(l Mr. Bevin, can lead only B: ec°n°tnic and moral bankrupfcy."