NORMAL CONDITIONS RETURNING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 263, 19 August 1949, Page 3

NORMAL CONDITIONS RETURNING

FEWER UNEMPLOYED IN N.S.W. Full Lighting in Use (N.Z.P. A.- Copyright) (Rec. 10.20 a.tn.) SYDNEY, This Day. Using their pre-strike quotas of electric power for the first time in eight weeks, many large metal' manufacturers reached almost normal production yesterday. Many people are now being employ* ed, and the number of idle workers in New South Wales to-day has shrunk to 125,000 from the strike peak of 431,000.

About 25,000 metal workers and 15,000 textile operatives resumed work yesterday.' Full lighting is now being used, and all city lifts are working. An early sign of the return to normal was the phenomenal sale of milk as milk shake machines in the city and suburbs went back into action. Of 140,351 pensons who applied for unemployment benefits during the strike, nearly 79,000 have notified the Social Security Department that they have returned to work. The Lord Mayor’s’ fund will close to-day. The Emergency Electricity Commissioner, Mr H. G. Conde, said, however, that Sydney people should not be over-optimistic because there were no black-outs yesterday. He added that much of industry had yet to resume, and that yesterday was a mild day. 1 Mr Conde warned the people to observe the regulations and use power •with restraint, as the rising power demand could cause recurring blackouts. Increasing Production On Monday the Joint Coal Bbard win begin a move to increase New South vvaies coal production by nearly 1.01f0.00U tons a year. The miners will work round-the-clock slifts on a live-day week basis in lb New South Wales open-cut mines, with a view to doubling the pre-strike open-cut production of 30,U0Q tons a week. This would increase New south Wales coal production to 310,000 tons a week if all mines worked to full capacity. The Coal Board recently estimated that the minimum requirements of industry dependent on New South Wales coal were 288,000 tons, a week. The Coal Board proposes to increase the number of men now employed in open-cuts from 800 to 12,000. Additional men will be recruited in centres where the mines are located. The men will work three shifts a day, and * night work will be carried, out withthe aid of searchlights. • Meanwhile petty stoppages m underground mines montinue to occur. The Northern Board of Management of the Miners’ Federation ruled out of order a notice of motion seeking to ban Communists from office in the federation. A motion demanding discontinuance of the federation’s official newspaper ‘‘Common Cause, which annoyed many moderates because of its militant attitude duung the strike, was referred to the central council, . ~ The Northern Miners’ Board of Management ruled that the refusal of the miners at the Preston extended colliery to work with a man because he was a Communist was entirely wrong. Wheelers in the colliery have refused wheelers have tendered their resignations, claiming that because of then stand, the union threatened fines and expulsion. '