AUSTRALIAN COAL RATIONING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 282, 25 August 1944, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN COAL RATIONING

Wide Repercussions On Industry

100,000 WORKERS MAY BE JOBLESS (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received August 24, 11 p.m.) CANBERRA, August 24.

The Commonwealth estimates that 109,000 workers will be made jobless through coal rationing. In the metal and allied trades, 10,000 workers would be affected almost immediately, it was officially stated today, and unemployment would grow rapidly as the repercussions were increasingly felt. The over-all cut in coal consumption to be secured by the Government’s rationing plans is 12| per cent. 5 The Federal Cabinet 6ub-comm>ttee on coal rationing decided not to impose any immediate restrictions on the consumption of coal for gas or electricity. Economies that will curtail industry generally, particularly the metal industry and the transport systems, were approved. The chairman of the sub-committee, Mr. Dedman, said that the coal cuts in industry would be graduated according to the degree of their importance. Traffic restrictions are being worked out by the State authorities in collaboration with the Department of Land Transport. Commenting on the stoppages in the New South Wales coalfields, the Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, said tonight that he would direct that the law should take its course against the striking miners.

Finding Other Employment.

The manpower authorities are now working on schemes to employ many persons displaced from coal —using trades in industries not dependent on coal. About 1000 timber workers in New South Wales will be dismissed during the next" week, states an official of the industry. Dismissals would be necessary because of shortage of railway rolling stock to haul cut timber to the market.

It is understood that the Government will try to avoid the rationing of light and power for domestic purposes as long as possible, but unless coal production improves quickly, it. may prove impossible to defer domestic rationing for very long. Some Ministers are reported to be becoming increasingly alarmed about the political effect of the coal position. Seven pits, involving about 1300 miners are idle in New South Wales today. Under the prosecutions ordered by Sir. Curtin, hundreds of striking miners will be liable to a penalty of six months’ imprisonment or £lOO 'fine, or both. Mr. Curtin has informed the president of the Miners’ Federation, Mr. H. Wells, that further consultations between tfie Government and the miners would be futile and that the miners themselves, were responsible for the present situation.