STILL BELOW ZERO

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 February 1947, Page 5

STILL BELOW ZERO

Blizzard Conditions In Britain . ~. ' ' FUEL CRISIS CONTINUES (Recd. 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, February 13. The Air Ministry weather experts say there is no hope yet of a let-up in the blizzard conditions. Temperatures are still below zero throughout Britain, except for a few points in the extreme west. The Prime Minister, Mr. Attlee, speaking in the House of Commons, said that 78,000 tons of coal had been saved in the first three days of the power restrictions. The percentage of coal saved yesterday, compared with the normal daily consumption, had risen to 37 per cent, from 33 per cent, on February 10. ‘“The situation remains very critical,” he added. The six big London power stations had only enough coal for a week in normal conditions. Elsewhere stations had about nine days’ supply. The stocks of gas undertakings were also giving cause for anxiety, particularly in London, where there was only enough for'about 91 days.

About 1,750,000 persons were out of work in areas where industrial power was restricted, about 1,000,000 of them claiming the unemployment benefit, Mr Attlee said. Coal Ships Arrive The rebuilding of stocks to the safety level depended on the movement of coal by rail and sea, he added. Twelve ships with 21,000 tons had already arrived in London. Fifty-one had left north-east ports between noon yesterday and noon to-day, and 30 were about to leave. The restricted railway passenger services would enable the railways to move more coal. The position should improve if the production at the pits were not held up by the shortage of rolling stock. The total of 1,750,00 unemployed because of the restrictions represented about one-third of the number of insured workers employed in the manufacturing industries in the restricted areas and about one-quarter of the corresponding number throughout the country, he said. “It is impossible to say now when we will get back to normal,” Mr Attlee concluded. The Ministry of Fuel in a statement says the critical drop in coal stocks has for the moment been arrested. The savings yesterday amounted to 25,300 tons, compared with 24,500 on Tuesday and 22,550 on Monday. An additional 2200 tons was saved in the newly restricted areas. The stocks of coal in the areas where power was first restricted increased by 12,582 tons between February 7 and February 11.

The British Gas Council has warned all its 1100 undertakings to prepare for the possibility of the Ministry of Fuel and Power prohibiting the supply of gas to industrial and commercial consumers, except those conducting essential services or continuous process operations. These consumers usually take one-third of the gas industry’s output. Some undertakings have only a few days’ slocks. Inspectors “on Prowl” Five coal ships bringing fuel for the relief of the blackout in London steamed up the Thames estuary as dawn broke and another 20 are expected to-night. The fuel enforcement officers, following the new drastic measures and the introduction of the emergency regulations under the Defence of the Realm Act, are “on the prowl” for persons flouting the power ban. The new power cuts in previously free areas came into operation to-day. Thousands more to-day joined the 1,000,000 already on the dole. Nine thousand aircraft workers at the De Havilland factories in. Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Lancashire received one week’s notice. More than 23,750 employees of the Nuffield organisation at the Cowley, Birmingham, Coventry and Llanelly factories as from to-day were given a week’s notice. The vice-chairman, Sir Miles Thomas, said: “Even if the shut-down lasts only two weeks it will cost the organisation approximately £250,000.”