No Full Guarantee Of Winter Fuel For British Industry

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1947, Page 7

No Full Guarantee Of Winter Fuel For British Industry

(Rec. 10.45 a.m.) LONDON, October 14. Coal totalling 24,250,000 tons has been allocated to the manufacturing industry in the coming winter, compared with last winter’s actual consumption of 19,970,000 tons, Sir Stafford Cripps announced at a press conference. The allocation would ensure that the industry was 100 per cent, capable of carrying out the export task. Sir Stafford said there was no margin in transport. Much depended on the weather. Any severe slowing down in transport might lead to difficulties.

Railway Wagons Short He added: “I cannot guarantee that the industry’s fuel needs will be met in full, because, if I were to do so and things went wrong, it might lead to the speedy closing down, of powei’ stations from which industry itself would-suffer most, but we haven’t imposed cuts on the industry’s fuel consumption requirements.” The railways had 50,000 fewer

wagons available for use than a year ago. ' The accumulated effect of the lack of maintenance repairs 'was now assuming “serious proportions. About 200,000 wagons were at present under repair, which was 25,000 more than at the beginning of last Winter ‘ • ~ x, x t. Sir Stafford Cripps said that when the industry’s fuel needs were fully met there would be substantially less left than last winter for domestic and non-industrial users. Industry would not be able to go all-out unless domestic and non-essential users reduced their consumption by at least 10 per cent, compared with 1946.

Steel Allocation

Dealing with the steel allocation in industry, Sir Stafford Cripps said that owing to a reduction in the control staff the issue of authorisations for steel in recent months had exceeded the z quantity of steel available. He was revising the system. The new Minister of Fuel and Power, Mr Gaitskell, said that the electricity and gas industries were to receive 30,000,000 tons of coal, which was slightly more than last winter’s consumption. The Minister, referring to the coal reserve stocks, said that 14,800,000 tons had been accumulated. “It looks as though we are going to get our target of 15,000,000 tons all right and may get 250,000 tons above the target.”