NEW SOUTH WALES MINERS

Evening Star, Issue 25226, 13 July 1944, Page 4

NEW SOUTH WALES MINERS

3,000° IDLE OFFICIAL WARNINGS IGNORED (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent* (Rec. 8 a.m.) SYDNEY, July 12. In spite of recent pleas by the Minister for the Army, Mr F. M. Forde, and leading miners' officials, and yesterday's warning by Mr Curtin that the iuso of coal would have to be restricted unless more was mined, about 3,000 miners are idle in New South Wales to-day. It is estimated that 7,000-tons of coal will be lost to-day—only 600 tons because of breakdowns. Production losses in the past three days have been nearly 18,000 tons. With industry facing drastic fuel cuts because the consumption has overtaken production, the Commonwealth Coal Commissioner, Mr N. Mighell, announced to-day that coal production was now worse than for the corresponding period last year, although more men were employed in the industry. .

" The plan to savo 25,000 tons of coal a week will be enforced if the # Federal Cabinet at its meeting on Friday decides in favour of the fuel, restrictions." says the Sydney ' Daily Telegraph's ' political correspondent. " Under the Government's coal-saving scheme supplies to industries not directly connected with the war effort will be cut heavily. Household supplies of coal, gas, and electricity will be maintained as long as possible." , "Mr Curtin's statement yesterday foreshadowing further restrictions in the consumption of coal is a confession of failure and an abdication to the miners' defiance of his appeals," says tho 'Sydney Morning Herald' in an editorial. " What the Prime Minister, announcing this industrial defeat of his Government's efforts, does not make clear is how_ far he can carry such restrictions without injury to the war programme and to the revival of civilian industry after the war. Consumers and taxpayers alike aro entitled to know where, under such a policy, the., Government proposes to halt!"