SPURT URGED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21802, 27 August 1945, Page 4

SPURT URGED

COAL PRODUCTION BRITISH STOCKS LOW MR. SHINWELL’S APPEAL (10 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 26. Mr. E. W. Shinwell, Minister of Fuel, revealed that Britain’s coal stocks were very low, but declared that Britain could get through the winter without trouble if everyone co-operated. ( He said stocks had fallen from 16,500,000 tons this time last year to 12,500,000. The gas industry had only three weeks’ supply compared with over five, wTiile the railways’ reserve had fallen from three weeks to one and a half. “There will be very little reserve in the Government dumps 'or the householder to fall back on this winter,” he said. “We last year began the winter with 800,000 tons in the Government dumps throughout the country. This year there is only a quarter of that amount, and last winter we only just managed to get through.” Although the facts about the coal position were rather grim, it was best

to make them public because then the miners, colliery officials, consumers and intelligent people would co-operate in getting more production and cutting down waste in gas and electricity. Mr. Shinwell declared that he was confident the coal industry would recover and make an effective contribution to British trade. One of the measures he was at present considering was the abolition of investigation at the pits into absenteeism, handing over the responsibility to the miners’ unions with an appeal to the men to do their best with regularity and goodwill.

Mr. Shinwell said he was aware that the men were tired and that food was in short supply. There were many other obstacles in the way of increased output but, despite all that, “I must get the spurt which, when I promote, national ownership, will make my task very much easier."