BRITAIN'S FRONT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 66, 15 September 1942, Page 5

BRITAIN'S FRONT

CURRENT PROBLEMS

SERIOUS COAL SHORTAGE

! (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.) (Rec. 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 14. Coal and service pay continue to be the chief topics of discussion on Britain's domestic front, and will probably remain so for some time. The coal situation is universally regarded as serious. Mr. Arthur Homer, of the South Wales Miners' Federation, said: "It is more desperate now than it has ever been since the commencement of the war. Unless sufficient coal is produced, it is a sheer waste of time for the industries that depend on coal to talk of the possibility of increased production. We can visualise no measures which will remove from this country the danger of a serious and critical situation in regard to coal supplies in the coming winter." : Major Lloya George, Minister for Fuel and Power, said: "The position in regard to coal in Britain is serious for our safety at the present juncture." Referring to the declining production, he added: "We must either inflict hardship on our peopl« or some factories must close down this winter." He stressed that Britain was faced with a gigantic task in making up for the loss by the Russians of half their coal production, 60 per cent, of their iron ore, and 50 per cent, of their steel. The "Daily Herald" declares that the Government, instead of waiting to see whether voluntary rationing would succeed or fail, should impose compulsory rationing immediately and make sure. The small increases in service pay which were announced in the House of Commons last week generally have not pleased Parliament, and there is no doubt that more will be heard of the question when the House meets again. WAR RESTRICTIONS. Restrictions caused by the war are gradually increasing on Britain's home front, even in many things which hitherto were seemingly of minor importance. Thus the shortage of paper is causing drastic restrictions. The public are asked to write the shortest possible letters and to use both sides of the paper. Calendars must not weigh more than two ounces. Menu cards must be of less than 56 square inches, and playing cards less than eight square inches. In addition to the prohibition on the manufacture of ice cream, it will be impossible to send flowers by rail after October, while utility socks are being cut from 14£ inches to 9 inches in length. There is a growing shortage of pennies, none having been minted for two years, and therefore the public are asked to use shillings in gas meters instead of pennies. The extra tobacco tax introduced last April resulted in reduced cigarette; consumption up to June by over 7,000,0001b, but 2,000,0001b more pipe tobacco was sold. The travelling restrictions will result in a saving of 11,500,000 miles when the Green Line bus routes are j suspended at the end of September. There are so few private cars abroad now that people are beginning to look twice at those they do see, wondering what is their business. WOMEN'S WAR WORK. It has become superfluous to comment on the increasing part taken in the war by women. Among the latest developments, women will soon operate practically all the barrage balloon sites in Britain, and drive and maintain all army motor vehicles up to three tons. Women balloon operators are replacing men as they become fully trained by R.A.F. instructors. No more men are being trained as balloon operators. It is said to be popular work with women. ' Thousands of men will also be released for other army duties by women drivers, who are given a ten-weeks' course, after which they know every part of the vehicle they are likely to handle. The final report of the Uthwatt ComI mittee on post-war planning in Britain has caused wide interest. Lord Balfour of BurleStfh, who is chairman of the National Bank of New Zealand and is closely studying reconstruction, commenting on the report in the "Observer," says: "It is a masterly exposition of the history arid practice of land acquisition for public purposes. It is necessarily highly technical, but it will amply repay study by the plain citizen, who every day is becoming more aware that second only to winning the war there is need to lay foundations for reconstruction in

peace."