NEW OWNERSHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26350, 3 January 1947, Page 5

NEW OWNERSHIP

BRITISH COAL MINES \ NATIONALISATION BEGUN LABOUR DREAM COME TRUE LONDON, Jan. 1. While the royal blue flag of the National Coal Board fluttered at the pitheads foi the first time, and Kentish miners entered the pits singing, a simple ceremony at the Ministry of Fuel office marked the handing over from private to public ownership of Britain’s 1500 coal mines at a cost to the nation of £165,000,000. ('ti)mination of Efforts Before handing Lord Hyndley, the chairman of the new National Coal Board, a bound copy of the National sation Act, the Minister of Fuel, Mr Emanuel Shinwell, speaking with emotion, said that, after many years’ agitation, “ we had at last reached the culmination of our efforts.” He paid a tribute to the work of the pioneers, such as. Keir Hardie, who helped to make the dream of the nationalisation of the mines a reality. Four men watching the ceremony spent their early life working at the coal face. They were Mr Aneurin Bevan, Mr Toni Williams. Mr James Griffiths, and Viscount Hall. Mr Shinwell added that it was the Government’s purpose to bring about the complete reorganisation of the industry, to provide the most modern eauipment, and to promote a new atmosphere and friendly relations. He appealed to the miners not only to produce sufficient coal to meet the demands of rising consumption—a comforting indication of the improvement of export trade, and general rise in production—but also quantities to enable her to resume the export of coal. Export Revival an Objective. “If we had plenty Of coal to sell," he said, “ there would be little or nothing we could not buy in the world to-day.” It would be one of the chief aims of the Coal Board to restore this export trade. Lord Hyndley said the National Coal Board accepted the trust, and was fully alive to the importance of coal exports. “We shall do our very best,” he said. Mr C. R. Attlee, recalling that Mr Shinwell, three times Minister, had ,on the third occasion brought to fruition the hopes of many thousands—the nationalisation of the mines—said: “The new Coal Board is a fine team, going in to bat on a distinctly sticky wicket, but I think it will score a great many sixers.” He appealed for a big effort by the miners and industrial and domestic consumers to get through the next few difficult months of winter. Some pithead meetings and processions in South Wales marked the handing over of the mines, but the miners are reserving their main celebrations for the week-end, when “ hang-overs ” will not affect production.” Immediate Results Unlikely The nationalisation of the mines will not mean any miraculous change in the critical coal situation, which will continue, and may again be acute next winter. However, the long-term prospects for the industry are hopeful. This was the gist of replies when all nine members of the National Coal Board, under the presidency of Lord Hyndley. met the press for the first

time to explain the magnitude of their task and plans to step up the production of coal, not only to levels to meet Britain’s needs, but to rebuild the export trade in coal. Lord Hyndley said that there were two plans: (1) A short-term one for increasing production from existing pits by the introduction of modern machinery, such as power loaders and conveyors. (2) A long-term plan for concentrating on productive pits, the closing of those which could not be made efficient, and the sinking of new ones. The board, in answer to questions, made it clear that it could not forecast how long it would be before the effects of even the short-term plan would be visible in increased output. It emphasised that man-power remained the crux of the problem. Lord Hyndley said the country had been divided into eight divisions. The unit of management would be the “ area,” of which there would be 48. The areas would control groups of pits and some areas might include up to 60 pits. . Detailed Planning Production representatives, Sir Charles Reid and Mr T. E. B. Young, explained that each area would have a general manager of high technical qualifications and experience, and he would be assisted by a planning staff in each area. The manager would be given an output target. He would review the pits in the area and decide which should be reconstructed and which should be closed, and where new pits should be sunk. This review might take a year. Men from closed pits would be transferred to others in the vicinity. One' of the major problems in sinking new pits would be the provision of new houses for miners. There was sufficient modern British mine machinery to meet present requirements. Eventually all 23,000 pit ponies employed underground would be transferred to the surface. The man-power and welfare representative, Lord Citrine, said he hoped to build pithead baths for roughly half the miners of the country who were still without them. However, the materials required were also needed for housing. It would ■ take at least five years at, a cost of £12.000,000 to complete tlie baths. The labour relations representative. Mr Ebby Edwards, said there would be negotiating machinery to settle disputes at pits, area or national levels. It was hoped that most disputes could be settled at the pit level. Importance to. Nation Lord Balfour, chairman of the Scottish Divisional Coal Board, in a speech to mining representatives at Edinburgh, said it was no exaggeration to say that on the success of the coal nationalisation experiment would depend whether Britain retained her place as a great industrial nation or declined into a third-rate Power He added that the industry never had had such an opportunity of rendering the nation a great service. ,