Chaos In Blizzard

Northern Advocate, 6 March 1947, Page 4

Chaos In Blizzard

ißec. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON. Mar. 5. The nightlong blizzard which was supposed to herald the thaw caused winter’s greatest traffic chaos in London.

Thousands were hours late in getting to workshops and offices. Many did not reach the city at all. Country trains arrived in London three to five hours late. Suburban buses sometimes slid backwards down -ice-covered hills. Steam engines were sent out to pull a stranded electric train. The London airport was closed because of ice on the runways. The London Transport Board, which is probably the world’s most efficient network, said: "The whole service was disorganised." The Air Ministry today revised its forecast of a general thaw and said that the mass of warm air Which was expected to spread over England might be forced out by another cCld blast from the east. The Automobile Association issued a message to motorists advising them to keep off the icy roads unless journeys were essential. LITTLE DAMAGE

Many collisions are reported in the London area, although little damage ; was done. An electric train between Bromley : and Victoria was stuck in a tunnel for 75 minutes. Women fainted in the compartments jammed with upwards of 27 people instead of the normal eight. A tjrain from Brighton arrived in London nearly 14 hours late. A Ministry of Fuel statement said conditions on the coalfields and railways had sharply deteriorated in many

parts of the country following a worsening of the weather, notable in South Wales and the Midlands. A blizzard overnight in South Wales rendered 33 pits idle and reduced the attendance at others by 50 per cent. All available labour is being used

on snow clearance in the East Midlands, where access to pits is blocked. A hard frost is expected tonight, with slept and snow later. QUESTION OF NIGHT WORK No agreement has yet been reached On the subject of night work, and discussions arc still proceeding between trades unions and employers. Representatives of the engineering unions and employers announced that they were unable to agree and if further efforts to settle their differences were unsuccessful they would be referred to the joint consultative committee established by the Ministry of Labour, whose next meeting is on March 13. The Government asked the Central Electricity Board whether staggering

of the industrial load in shifts between G o’clock in the morning and 10 o'clock at night would be sufficient to solve the problems of power stations. The board is still considering the matter, but if it is found unnecessary to work shifts after 10 p.m. considerable dislocation in the normal lives of workers will be avoided and a settlement should be more easily reached. Government experts have now drawn up a domestic fuel rationing plan, but Cabinet has not yet decided whether to adopt it. Mr Attlee is expected to make a statement on the matter shortly. The House of Commons will debate

I tho While Paper on Monday, j The unions are adamant against working at night, except at night rates. The employers objected to ihc reduction of the economic profit margin by having to pay such penalty rates Two day shifts would avoid substantial wage loads. Such staggering of working hours would mean a great upset in the l nation's social life, but, like other j measures, the people would have to I bear it for two or three years, j Judging by report! from regional I boards there was substantial goodwill ! from both sides of'industry in all disI cussions aimed at overcoming Britain’s critical problems.