HOPEFUL VIEW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1943, Page 4

HOPEFUL VIEW

OF COAL SITUATION IN BRITAIN TAKEN BY MR CHURCHILL. NO SERIOUS FALL IN OUTPUT DISCLOSED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY, October 13. Intervening in the House of Commons debate on the coal situation. Mr Churchill said that only 50,000 tons of coal had been lost in the last twelve months by strikes, cut of upwards of 200 million tons produced. Losses by stoppages had been less than two-thirds of half of one per cent, or two-thirds of -05. This loss compared very favourably with that of last year, and other comparisons might be drawn outside this country. “The figure of wilful absenteeism is slightly under five per cent,” the Prime Minister added. “There is also a certain increase in short absenteeism, throughout industry, through small ailments which are not entirely dissociated from dietary changes and the regime under which we live. Even taking all absenteeism into account, there Was no loss of tonnage this year more than last. We must not under-rate the strain upon miners. Their average age lias increased and their food is less stimulating and less varied. Miners do not get the holidays or leisure from an exceptionally arduous calling allowed in the past during the summer. They are now pressed to work as hard or harder in summer, to pile up coal for the winter and to make good the needs of war. Wages have advanced over fifty per cent, against an increase in cost of living of thirty per cent. We must reply on the miners to do their best for the cause for which they most warmly and most sternly aspire. Next year the miners will have the aid of outcrop coal, produced by surface work, amounting to ten or fifteen million tons. Provided everyone does his duty to the utmost, we are in no danger of a collapse in coal production. This island is running at a very high level, with good rhythm, and if we can only keep our momentum—we cannot increase our pace—that very fact will enable us to outclass our enemies and possibly even our friends.” Mr Churchill said the Minister of Fuel, if he needed further powers, need only to ask for them, and if they were thought indispensable, however rough, they would be given. He had full powers to take over pits in the same way as firms were taken over by the Ministry of Aircraft Production. He could make examples where obstruction or incompetence of management could be proved. It certainly had not been proved yet. Mr Churchill said that unless we were relieved by an altogether unexpected collapse on the part of the enemy, “which we would be absolute fools to count upon,” the worst fighting. so far as the British people were concerned, lay ahead. He refused to weaken the field forces or the manpower reserves which lay behind them “except by a limited comb-out of older men,” nor would he nationalise the mines without a mandate from the nation. Nationalisation did not terrify him at all, and the principle was accepted by all, provided proper compensation were paid. It was a question whether they would make a better business of the whole thing for the nation than by relying on private enterprise. It would, however, raise a lot of differences and argument and be a tremendous business to nationalise the mines, and unless it could be proved to be the conviction of the House and country, and to the satisfaction of the responsible Minister, that it was the only way to win the war. they would pot be justified in embarking upon it without a general election.