MINERS EXEMPT FROM FORCES FOR FIVE YEARS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 14298, 22 February 1947, Page 3

MINERS EXEMPT FROM FORCES FOR FIVE YEARS

every possible source of man-power to be Mobilised

London., February 21. The hard economic task facing Britain and the way in which we must meet it were outlined to-day in a Government White Paper, the first of the economic budgets which are to be presented every year from now on, ' After analysing our difficulties, the, drain on our dollar resources, our debt to America, lack of manpower and lack of raw materials, the White Paper calls for an all-out drive for exports. We must raise the value of exports this year to 140 per cent, of the 1938 figure. This is about 25 per cent, more than last year, and it is still only a short-term target. The long-term target remains at 175 per cent, of the 1938 figure. The key to the whole problem is coal. We must produce 200,000,000 tons this year. It will be a hard target, nearly 10,750,000 tons more than last year. The Government will take special steps to recruit more miners. They intend to make the industry more attractive by providing more houses for miners. Miners who work underground will be exempt from call up for the forces for the next five years and this means that young men will be able to choose to enter the mines instead of doing their period of national service in the Army, Navy or Air Force. Recruiting of Poles for the mines is also in, progress. , i£ .„ By all these means the Government plans to increase the mining labour force by 35,000 by the end of the year. The Government intends to speed up the provision of mechanised mining equipment and plant for open-cast coal production, and is going to take drastic measures to reduce the non-industrial consumption of coal, gas and electricity. But above all, the White Paper says, the Government looks to the miners to increase their individual output. Steps are also to be taken to increase the available manpower in industry as a whole. The Government is appealing to women to enter industry either as whole or part-time workers, and is asking older people to stay on at work instead of retiring. The Government also intends to bring in foreign labour, the only substantial additional source of manpower open By all these means it hopes to get an additional 100,000 workers making the total labour force by the end of the year 18,400,000. But with all this much still depends on the individual worker producing more, and the Government attaches great importance to the introduction of systems of payment and other arrangements which will encourage greater output. *„',, v Britain cannot afford shorter hours of work unless these can be shown to increase each worker's output over the year. The White Paper lays down in broad outline plans forsteel production, improving the railways, building more ships, producing more of our own food, and re-equipping our industries. At the same time, it says, the programme for education is to go forward, with special attention to economy and manp'ower.