COAL STOPPAGE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 63, 15 March 1944, Page 5

COAL STOPPAGE

Mr. Churchill Declines To Make Statement PROGRESSIVE IMPROVEMENT Rec. 1 p.m. RUGBY, Mar. 14. The Prime Minister, wlien asked in the House of Commons about coal stoppage, said: "I do not feel it would be wise for me to make a statement on the coalmining position at the present moment. I should also deprecate a debate until the negotiations, which were opened last Wednesday, by the Minister of Fuel. Major Lloyd George, are completed. I must ask the House to sustain the Government in this view, which they have not adopted without careful consideration of what is best in the public interest in so critical a time." Further inquiries extracted from Mr. Churchill nothing more than.

"I understand that some of the miners who are still out have not followed the guidance of their own accredited leaders and not abided by the result of the majority vote. In that case naturally some disappointment must be felt in respect to their behaviour." Previously Major Lloyd George said that the coal position had deteriorated since November owing to strikes and transport difficulties, and he could hold out no hope of any relaxation of restriction. The shortage of the coal output in February, compared with last February, was about 200,000 tons.

Reports from the mining districts indicate that the Welsh coal strike is a little more than half over. A miners' official stated that the position is improving progressives, with 65,000 men now working. Several more large pits in South Wales resumed to-day, hut the position is slightly worse in West Wales, where some'collieries, which restarted yesterday, have since stopped.