POSITION STILL CRITICAL

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 14299, 24 February 1947, Page 3

POSITION STILL CRITICAL

COAL AND POWER IN ENGLAND

Rigid Economies Must

Continue

Battle To Get Supplies Moving

London, Feb. 23

After a day of slightly better weather iu most parts of Britain, with more sunshine than has been seen for weeks, the Ministry of Fuel has issued a warning that the coai and power position is still-critical and that rigid 'economies over the past fortnight must continue. -- - The Ministry added that weather conditions again dominated the situation. It is thought that to-day's light thaw followed by frost will make road and railway conditions even worse by to-morrow. Early this week there is -a forecast of fog in knd around large towns in England, Wales and Southern Scotland. The Ministry gives better news about the movement of coal shipments. Only five ships were reported still weather (bound in the north-east and these were expected to get away sometime to-day. For the 24 hours ended this morning 45 ships had left the north-east coast, 30 bound for London and the others for parts of the south and southeast.

The saving in coal yesterday from tlie electricity cuts was only about 24,000 tons compared with just over 29,000 on the previous Saturday. The stocks of coal at electricity undertakings rose slightly yesterday and there is stored up nearly 16 days' supply. It is reported that all snow blocks on important railway routes have been cleared. On one line it is estimated that within 24 hours there was 3 6 coal trains from South Wales and 50 from' the Midlands. To help in the battle to get the coal moving men have been working the whole of to-day, their normal day off and railway men and transport workers have also been hard at it. Work is now in the last stage of the critical 48-hour period which, the Fuel Minister stated last night, may have to end in the rationing bt gas.