GLOOMY DAYS

Evening Star, Issue 25716, 13 February 1946, Page 5

GLOOMY DAYS

DEPRESSION OVER BRITAIN UNWELCOME AUSTERITY GALL LABOUR GOVERNMENT WANTING (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) (Rec. 8 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 12. Not since the dark days of war has the general atmosphere in Britain been quite so glum. The immediate cause is the news about the food position which, although there had been several warnings from time to time, came as a shock to the community as a whole. Immediately on top of that came Mr Ernest Shinwell's grave warning on the position of the coal industry, while in industry generally the situation in some respects is regarded as reminiscent of the position immediately after Dunkirk. Apart from food cuts and a general call for austerity there is an urgent need for the total mobilisation of labour and productive resources as there was in the summer of 1940. The problems of man power output and finance are also grave. The ability of the Labour Government is now being thoroughly tested. Now that the public has had time to learn the details causing a return to war-time rationing and of the world food position the initial wave of dia•may and indignation is subsiding. But two facts remain: One is that British houswives generally, and for the first time, are thoroughly angry. The other is that until further information is given in the House of Commons debate later this week on food and agriculture, the impression still exists that the Government ■ has bungled the position. Labour's argument is that the Government cannot be blamed tor the world) shortage, but the Opposition maintains that with all information at its disposal, farmers should have been warned weeks ago of the position, the people should have been kept more fully informed, and purohases from America should have been of food at the expense of films, tobacco, and petrol. COAL POSITION CLOAKED.

Mr Shinwell's revelation of the coal position came as almost as great a shock to the public as the news about the food, for in the same way the recent news of coal production had been as vaguely optimistic as Sir Ben Smith's comments about rations. It wag never suspected that unless the coal output increases by 250,000 tons a week the situation may be " very dangerous" within the next two months. The reasons given for the fall in coal production are stated to be absenteeism, slack working, and lack of discipline among the miners together with the effect of the pay as you earn system, which is said to rob incentive, increased sickness, &nd the fact that the miners are not getting extra rations. It is observed that the nearer Britain approaches nationalisation of its coal mines the faster does the output fall and the more ex- • travagant are the demands of the miners' unions. The position is one of deep concern, particularly as Mr Shinwell emphasises that the new Britain must be built on coal or it can never be built at all. The Government is being urged to get down to restoring work and discipline in the mines to correct the position. It is pointed out that on the miners more than any other single section of theiV/orking population'does the Labour Government's success or failure depend, not only in nationalising the mines but its whole industrial policy, DEARTH 0F LABOUR. The man-power position is regarded as serious, since prolonged dearth of labour is foreseen. The crux of the problem is stated to be how to increase the amount of labour on peace production and to get the maximum output. The whole of the man-power position is now being reviewed and a special conference of tradfe union executives is to meet the Ministers next month to disouss Britain's labour and industrial prospects. «,.'•.' On the question of finance, Britain s position is being further complicated by the indefiniteness about the American loans. The net result of all these problems is a growing tendency to. critioise the Government for paying overmuch attention to " injecting Socialist doctrines " at a time when the country is in such a difficult position. How much this criticism will grow in weight depends on the course of immediate events.