BRITISH GLOOM

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21945, 13 February 1946, Page 3

BRITISH GLOOM

FOOD AND COAL. SEVERE SHORTAGES TILT AT GOVERNMENT (Special Correspondent.) (10 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 12. Not since the dark days of the war has the general atmosphere in Britain been quite sc 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 E. W 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 the general call for austerity, there is an urgent need for the total mobilisation of labour and productive resources as in the summer of 1940. The problems on manpower, 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 details causing the return to wartime rationing and of the world food position, the initial wave of dismay and indignation is subsiding. But two facts remain. One is that the British housewives 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 Blames World Shortage

Labour’s argument is that the Government cannot be blamed for a world shortage, but the Opposition maintains that, with all the information at its disposal, the farmers should have been warned weeks ago of the position, the people should have been kept more fully informed and purchases from America should have been of food at the expense of films, tobacco and petrol.

Mr Shinwell's revelation of the coal position came as almost as great a shock to the public as the news about food, for in the same way recent news of coal production had been as vaguely

optimistic as Sir Ben Smith's comments about rations. It was 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 pay-as-you-earn system, which is said to rob incentive, increased sickness and 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 extravagant are the demands of the miners’ union.

Correcting Coal Position

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 to the mines to correct the position. It is pointed out that on the miners more than any other single section of the working population docs the Labour Government’s success or failure depend, not only in nationalising the mines but in its whole industrial policy. The man-power position is regarded as serious, since a prolonged dearth of labour is foreseen. The crux of the problem is stated to be to increase the amount of labour on peace production and get the maximum output. The whole of the man-power position is now being reviewed and a special conference of trade union executives is to meet the Ministers next month to discuss Britain’s labour and industrial prospects. On the question of finance Britain’s nosition is being further complicated by indcfinitencss about the American loans. Tlie net result of all these problems is a growing tendency to criticise 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.