ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 148, 20 December 1945, Page 7

ON CHRISTMAS DAY

N.S.W. TO GET POWER

SYDNEY, December 19.

All gas and electricity restrictions will be lifted from 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve until midnight on Christmas Day. The Minister of Local Government, Mr. Cahill, in announcing this, said that the raising of the ban would permit the use of radios ahd all other appliances prohibited or curtailed by the restrictions, but did not apply to industry.

There Would be no restriction on the use of lighting for New Year's Eve and weekly papers would be able to publish Christmas issues subject to a 50 per cent, cut in the use of power.

Mr. Cahill said he would meet the supply authorities again next Friday, and, if possible, try to remove the more irksome of the restrictions still operating.

Eighteen persons were arrested during a lunch-hour demonstration in Sydney today by about 100 men and women who demanded that "Broken Hill Proprietary coal be released to give the kids a white Christmas."

Buses filled with homecoming soldiers jeered at the demonstrators and civilians outside the Town Hall kicked the banners they were carrying. Three servicemen and one girl were among those arrested.

The demonstrators raised banners with the words "No need for gas restrictions. Release B.H.P. coal. End the 9 p.m. curfew. Give the kids a white Christmas." Some heated arguments developed between pedestrians and demonstrators before the police arrived and made the arrests.

The demonstrators argued that while they were on the dole, B.H.P. had 200,000 tons of coal available. During the strike, miners' officials claimed that B.H.P. had 200,000 tons of coal in stock which could be made available to industry, but Mr. Cahill stated that this coal was not suitable for gas-making or the generation of electricity.