N.S.W. COAL SHORTAGE

Grey River Argus, 26 June 1946, Page 5

N.S.W. COAL SHORTAGE

TRANSPORT RESTRICTIONS SYDNEY, June 24. The Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, conferred last night with union officials on the tram and train restrictions. He told them the Federal Government had already ordered an investigation into the coal holding in all States. The transport restrictions in operation, and those which, will commence next week-end, are estimated to save about 10000 tons weekly. Though no immediate action regarding private users is contemplated, the supply authorities say that additional electricity rationing is imperative and gas rationing appears inevitable. From next week-end trams will not run in Sydney and Newcastle, after 2 p.m. on Saturday until the normal starting time on Monday morning. The Minister of Transport (Mr M. O’Sullivan) said the required 25 per cent, saving in electricity had not been effected by .the deletion of the trams last Sunday and the reduction of offpeak running. Bus services would run as usual during the week-end and time-tables would' be re-arranged to follow as closely as possible the normal tram routes.

The secretary of the Australian Railways Union (Mr J. Ferguson, said that unless steps were taken to avoid a repetition of the dangerous congestion caused by racegoers on Saturdays, railwaymen might refuse to run any trains on Saturdays during the restriction of services. He added that it was better to lose trains than lives. The power and transport restrictions in Sydney yesterday saved about 250 tons of coal. Yesterday three northern N.S.W. mines were idle. Burwood mine, producing 3000 tons a day, was idle because the miners demanded an extra bus lo the nine. The coal lost in strikes yesterday was 4500 tons, which would have provided sufficient power to keep Sydney’s' trams and electric trains running for three days'.

SEVEN MINES STOP COAL LOSS THIRTY TIMES THE SAVINGS (Rec. 9.10) SYDNEY, June 24. While desperate efforts were being made to conserve coal, there’was today a loss from strikes of 8,230 tons of output. This was the heaviest output loss on one day for more than a month. Seven mines were idle to-day. This was because of industrial disputes. The coal output loss was thirty times the daily saving by the Sydney and Newcastle restrictions. The Minister of Supply, Senator Ashley, said to-day that the Bunnerong power-house was too small for

called for 325 thousand kilowatts, whereas Bunnerong’s maximum capacity was 275 thousand. the requirements of Sydney, which SYDNEY TRAMWAYMEN OBJECTION TO CUT IN SERVICES. (Rec. 9.10) SYDNEY, June 25. There is to be a conference on Thursday between the Tramway Union and the New South Wales Minister of Transport, Mr O’Sullivan, and the Transport Commissioner, Mr Neale. Unless agreement is reached at the conference serious trouble may follow. The conference will discuss the impact of the tram service curtailments on wages and working conditions. A sections of the men on the trams is said to favour taking strike action to force a retention of a guaranteed 40-hour week, or the payment of its equivalent in wages. POWER CUT IN AUCKLAND VOLUNTARY REDUCTIONS NOT FORTHCOMING AUCKLAND, June 25. Shut-downs of electric power throughout 16 areas of Auckland Electric Power Board’s district will be made for half an hour a day this week, according to a decision reached at a meeting of the board. “It is difficult to get reductions made voluntarily”, said the chairman, Mr Irwin Crookes, in moving that these shutdowns should be introduced. “It has been a hard struggle during the last week to keep down our load. It has been a difficult period, because the shortest day occurred in it.” SYDNEY PAINTERS’ DISPUTE tßec. 10.40) SYDNEY, June 25. The inter-State liner Duntroon has been made available by the Federal Government to transport 450 evacuees to Hong Kong, but the liner has been declared black by the Ships’ Painters and Dockers Union. The Duntroon’s tentative sailing date is July 13. The dispute concerns a union fight with the Metal Trades Employers’ Association over the method of picking up labour.

The Ruhr Coal WIDER EXPORTATION LONDON, June 24. Officials at Essen of the North German Coal Commission said coal from the Ruhr is now being sent to Italy, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Portugal, Previously only France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, and Luxembourg received Ruhl’ coal allocations. A British official declared the British zone would be the chief sufferer. He added that cuts had been ordered in supplies to the British zone, Belgium and Holland to make up allocations to live countries which Britain and America had decided to admit to the European coal organisation. Reuter’s Essen correspondent said: It is learned that the Ruhr mines will supply Italy with 250,000 tons by the end of July because the recent United States coal strike had stopped shipments to Italy. The decision to admit, five extra coal consumers to the allocation list surprised Coal Commission officials who forecast that dangerously low levels are likzlv to be reached in coal production, which may disastrously affect not only Germany but the whole of Western Europe. British officials said they had suggested shipping some exportable coaf to -Britain, but the proposal was turned down through ‘political intervention.’ The commission was told that British miners would not stand for the importation of German coal. Experts maintain that the present rate of Ruhr production of 175.009 tons a day must be increased to 250.000 if a winter crisis is to be avoided. Brussels radio stated Belgium and Italy have concluded a commercial treatv for the yearly delivery of 30,000,000 tons of coal from Belgium to Italy.