CURRENT TOPICS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 128, 2 June 1942, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

BRITAIN'S WAR EFFORT

COAL DISPUTE AND PARTY POLITICS

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.) (Rec. 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, June 1. The increasing "austerity" of the coal dispute and party politics are among the main features of topical comment in Britain today. The demand for a second front is still active, but it has been somewhat mollified by statements made here and also in America. The austerity measures include tightening up of the rules for clothing and hotel meals, the laying up of private! cars, standardisation wherever possible j of a 52-hour week for industrial work- | ers, and a 46-hour-week for office staffs, and also a warning that public travelling will shortly be curtailed and nonessential journeys cut out. As from June 1 the manufacture is to cease of lace curtains, with a great reduction of such things as felt hats, cloth caps, and mattresses. Shoes will be patched instead of resoled and reheeled. All these items indicate growing shortages, and also Britain's determination to put everything in to the war effort. Coal and the question of rationing •fuel and light are the chief domestic questions. The . 'Economist" observes that a battle for political power is now going on behind the scenes. "At present," it says, "it is raging round the coal industry." Cabinet is now considering the miners' demands for increased wages. Meanwhile, thousands of miners who were on strike have returned to wor.k pending a decision. MORE COAL NEEDED. One of Britain's great needs at the moment is increased coal output, for while rationing of domestic and industrial consumers is essential, it is not thought that this is enough to meet the situation. It is realised that some time will elapse before rationing can start, and therefore a campaign is being introduced' for the saving of fuel. There is nothing new about coal disputes Hn Britain. There has been fierce political and, industrial strife over coal for many years, but the subject has again been brought into the limelight as a result of the. great demand for coal, the shortage of labour, and comparison of the wages with those in other war industries. More will certainly be heard of coal and fuel rationing. Party politics came into" the limelight last week during the Labour Party's annual conference, which showed that_ Labour is by no means comfortable in its association with the other elements. in the National Government* It is also uneasy regarding a political truce, and feels, for one thing, that Independents have been getting into Parliament on Labour views. It is this keenness of the political parties to preserve their identities which forms the.background to much of the criticism of _ Mr. Churchill. The Conservatives expect him to remember that he leads the party, in addition to the nation. Labour looks on him to proclaim a people's peace. One of the chief things New Zealanders should well bear in mind is the fact that none of the internal differences of. opinion in Britain affects the country's determination to defeat Nazism. If proof is needed of this spirit and ability, it is not necessary to look further than the great raid against Cologne, which symbolises not only Britain's determination but her steadily-growing power as a result of the colossal war effort, which in some respects may still be said to be passing through the stage of adolescence.